THE INDIAN 'WEST' Gujarat and Modi on the Rise

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R

Indian Roots. Global Reach.INDIA | MIDDLE EAST | AFRICA | ASIA PACIFIC

THE INDIAN'WEST'Gujarat

and Modion the Rise

• 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

• The Indian Growth Story Unabated • Arunachal Pradesh Re-visited

Kanchan BanerjeeEditor in Chief

[email protected]

Who said we are in the 21st century? Whosaid we are more civilized than the medieval era of brutality? If we look at the violent incidents of the past year in differentparts of the world, they would tell a tale ofmanmade calamities affecting lives of millions which in itself is evidence of a globalvillage full of primitive inhabitants and leaders for whom the progress of the civilizationseems regressive. In the name of religion, violence is found in so many countries! Thejihad is more visible around the world nowthan even 10 years ago. This affects not onlythe people of diverse faiths, but also thepeople belonging to the same religion. InPakistan the breeding ground of jihadists the fanatics tried to silence the teenagerMalala Yousufzai, who represents a ray ifhope. Apart from daily killings in differentparts of the country, attack on health workers and journalists are the last opportunities for a society to think seriously! Theentire West Asia is up in �lames for freedomin one hand and also churning into morerigid system of theocracy, which includesEgypt. In Syria, hundreds are dying everyday. No one knows whether Arab Springmeans the victory of real democracy or reverting to theocracies. No one can guarantee the safety of ‘liberated’ Iraqis or Afghansand even the US consulate! On the otherhand, the killing spree of the US soldier inAfghanistan raise the question – while theman is guilty of a heinous crime – what wasthe cause of his acting this way? Why didthe shooting in an US Army training camp inFort Hood happen? What psychology andideology of destruction is guiding them?

The shooting spree in Newtown, Connecticut, has raised many known questions.Should there be more guns in the world inthe hands of ordinary citizens in the nameof selfdefence or even for the right to overthrow if the government turns tyrannical(this is part of US Constitution)? Why ordinary citizens should take guns to protectthemselves, then what is police and military

doing? While these are very importantquestions, the other key question has to dowith how our societies deal with mentallyunstable people. Forget about underdeveloped nations, in developed nations there isnot comprehensive plan to deal with thiscrisis. It is not just those who are clinicallysick in mind, but those who are selfcentered violent lots otherwise, who are readyto be trigger happy without any notice –how do we deal with so many of themaround the world, many living in our neighborhoods? As urbanization and industrialization increases, stress spurts –malnutrition, diseases, discrimination, mistreatment, divorces, single parenthood, exclusivist religious beliefs, racism all addsup to foment the revenge within. Societycannot just blame the weapons, but the perpetrators’ state of mind which is in a way re�lection of the society itself!

The education systems around the worldneed to be reevaluated – are they creatingenlightened citizens or robots? Do they havean ethical and value system compatible tomodern societies?

“Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horribledescendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have �illedthe earth with violence, drenched it oftenand often with human blood, destroyed civilization and sent whole nations to despair.Had it not been for these horrible demons,human society would be far more advancedthan it is now? But their time is come; and Ifervently hope that the bell that tolled thismorning in honor of this convention may bethe deathknell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, andof all uncharitable feelings between personswending their way to the same goal.” (Closing remarks of Swami Vivekananda on September 11, 1893, at the World Parliament ofReligions in Chicago).

We wish all our readers, subscribers, patrons, supporters a happy and prosperous2013. Let this be a year of progress.

Editorial

For Tomorrow’sLasting Peace

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE JANUARY 2013

CONTENTS 02

NGI KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

EDITOR�IN�CHIEF Kanchan Banerjee

INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHERHaimanti Banerjee

MANAGING EDITORUjjwal K Chowdhury

MANAGEMENT ADVISORVijay NahataSmt Chandan Rathindranath Banerjee

PUBLISHERSSudhakar Murthy (Middle East)Prof Dasarath Chetty (South Africa)Mohan Mulani (Asia Paci�ic)Manoj Soma (Europe)

CONSULTING EDITORSUsha Manojkanth (Europe)Bikram Vohra (Middle East)Biswadeep Ghosh (India)

HEAD, PR AND ADMINISTRATIONDr Kapil Raina

DESIGNShayoni DharManoj Mulwani

SENIOR SUB EDITOR Mritunjay Kumar

IT CONSULTANTSudhir Pandey

MARKETING & BRANDINGAshish SharmaShashank BhattIndrani SarkarArchanaKaushal KumarRijuta KhuranaNEW GLOBAL INDIAN

10

24 32

20

JANUARY 2013

EDITORIAL1 For Tomorrow’s Lasting Peace4 Happy Homecoming6 India 2013: Picture Abhi Baaki Hain,

Merey Dost!

COVER STORY10 Gujarat Spells Oppurtunities

GUJARAT20 Narendra Modi’s Political Journey 3.0:

A Roadmap

INTERVIEW24 Woman of Substance

MASTERSTROKE32 The Business of Doing Business

NEWS34 NGI Newsmakers36 NRI Newsbin

CONTENTS 03

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENTSRajesh Iyer(Mumbai)Shekhar Srivastava (Lucknow)Ummul Saba (Delhi)Bikas Sarmah (Assam)

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SOCIETY40 Varnashram, Social Order and Evolution

SPIRITUALITY42 21st Century and Vedic Renaissance

DEVELOPMENT44 Gujarat: Towards Excellence in

Public Health46 Making of Solar Gujarat

SOCIETY48 Your Child deserves Attention

EVENT52 An Evening to Reconnect and

Recognise Global Indians

GUJARAT54 Gujarat’s Tribute to Swami Vivekananda

TOURISM58 Arunachal Pradesh: Sheer Tourist Delight

HERITAGE66 From Tamralipta to Tamluk

A long journey

WILDLIFE70 Bearing the bear: Foxing all countries

CINEMA74 Carving a niche

INTERVIEW77 ‘Advantage Rajasthan makes it top

investment hub’

Haimanti BanerjeeInternational [email protected]

Time is ripe again for the ‘homecoming’of the Indian Diaspora: and also for celebrating their achievements. Twenty�ive million plus people of Indian origin,whether or not born in India and livingoutside of India in over 100 countries,are drawn towards their motherlandthat is variously referred to as Bharat,Hindustan or simply India – a land ofdreams. Yes, India is far from perfect.The mother, once richest in the world,is unable to ful�ill the basic needs of itspeople such as food, education andhealthcare today. But a mother is always a mother.

Today, India stands out not only because of its economic progress but alsodue to the fact that it has the world’ssecond largest population. Most ofthem are poor. The largest number of illiterate and poor people live in India.While the Government cannot do everything, it has certain responsibilitiesnonetheless. It is a shame that whilepeople view India as a super power, theground reality is that a very small percentage of its population reaps the bene�its of progress. The socalled ‘trickledown’ effect is nonexistent. The bottom of the pyramid continues to behuge.

The powerful and rich rule. Corruption is there in every part of the society,religious fanaticism is worrisome, gunculture and separatism in the name ofJihad and Naxalism is threatening thevery foundation of the nation.

No matter how disappointing the situation is, hope remains eternal becausea glorious past is an impetus for a better future. Mark Twain, the celebratedcreator of Tom Sawyer, had once said:“India is the cradle of the human race,the birthplace of human speech, the

mother of history, the grandmother oflegend, and the great grandmother oftradition. Our most valuable and mostastrictive materials in the history ofman are treasured up in India only!”India still remains that land of treasureand the responsibility to safeguard itrests with the current leadership andpeople alike. Indians living across theglobe also have a responsibility as well.When people in India tend to slacken,the global Indians have been and can begreat catalysts for change.

Will, determination and a great ethical and moral turn of the masses in thesociety can change the scenario anytime. A huge population is a challengefor any progress, yet there lies opportunities – plenty of scope to undertake,both by people living in India and thoseliving outside. India needs herculean efforts in many �ields such as energy, education, water, environment, skilltraining and technology. The sky is thelimit to pick from.

The Pravashi Bharatiya Divas, Vibrant Gujarat Investors Summit andother such events are great occasions tobe part of. Hence, the homecoming becomes more relevant, not only for afeeling of the mother’s lap and herblessings and the reunion, but also forseeing what one can do to make Indiaand the world at large, wherever one’sbirthplace or workplace is, a betterplace to live in. That is the real treasureone can leave for the future generations.

I would like to thank our readers,subscribers, wellwishers and sponsorsfor all the support we have received forhelping the NGI platform touch a newheight. We wish you all a great andprosperous New Year 2013.

Editorial

Happy Home-coming


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Prof Ujjwal K ChowdhuryManaging Editor

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In recent times, the world media has almost written off the Indian growthstory. Yes, there are several setbackswith growth �igures coming below sixpercent in a quarter and the rupee’s devaluation heavily over the last one year,apart from the industrial slowdown.However, there are more than 50 reasons to celebrate the Indian economy aswe view the possibilities in 2013.

The story cannot be �inished for a nation with the world’s youngest population (66 percent below 35 years of age),with one in every six people owningsome business, farm sector experiencing growth unlike the developed world,New Media usage rising at the fastestrate here, and the newly rich investingheavily in education and health apartfrom media and technology.

Agriculture Sector Developments:Let’s begin with agriculture. Somepromising developments in agriculturein spite of the annual growth in the sector being lower than three percentmerit a look. The Times of India grouphas recently awarded the NABARDRural Innovations Awards to severalpathbreaking innovations at the grassroots level in agriculture.

Growing riceusing ‘direct seeding’technology promises to bring downwater usage and production costs remarkably. Precision farming eschewsthe traditional haphazard approach toagriculture, and farming community inseveral states are being trained in thesame. Further, several ‘producer companies’ are becoming a reality in whichfarmers are shareholders and making adifference. There are 150 such

companies across the country, mainly inthe South. And, agricultural universitiesare mentoring such companies as well.

Closely associated is the success ofthe dairy cooperatives in India whichhas made the nation, the largest producer of milk in the world. Gujarat andMaharashtra are the leaders in this domain.Inculcation of ‘drip irrigation’ techniques in paddy is improving yield andalso saving up to 40 percent of water.Moreover, Gujarat’s success in improving agricultural productivity throughcheck dams is inspiring other states.

Sustainability Initiatives AcrossIndia:Ecologically sustainable naturism andtourism are helping development at thegrassroots. For example, MountainShepherds is using ecotourism to improve the living standards of theBhutiya people. Tarun Bharat Sangh, awater management organization, istransforming villages in Rajasthan. Anarchitect’s initiative to clean Delhi’sdrains and use the land around themfor public purposes is picking up paceand public support.

‘Total Village Management’ system inJharkhand is another example of sustainable initiative. This means mentoring Jharkhand villagers to change theirlives and build the local economy at thegrassroots. Local and largescale generation and use of solar energy is on therise and solar and biomass power has abright future in India.

Water recycling and reuse is gathering momentum. Success stories of oneplace are being emulated by others.

Editorial

India 2013: Picture AbhiBaaki Hain, Merey Dost!


EDITORIAL 07


‘Green’ buildings are another signi�icantly relevant development. These optimize the use of resources, includingwater and electricity mainly, and are akey to ensuring successful urbanizationof India.

Urbanization is also helped by alternative new practices. The efforts of ascientist have prompted local authorities to make rainwater harvesting compulsory in the heart of Bengaluru. Also,there is a growing organized sectorprocessing ewaste in a safe and environmentally friendly manner, though itis a major metro city challenge indeed.

Infrastructural Growth Points:Construction is experiencing a boom.New roads and bridges are bringingpeople closer than ever before, as wellas brightening business prospects. Newimport terminals will substantially increase the country’s capacity to importgas for power generation. A gaspipeline from Gujarat to Jammu &Kashmir is raising the expectations ofthe people in India’s northernmost border state. Further, India’s completeswitch from cylinders to piped gas islong overdue, but it is well underway.Every urban centre is going through aphase of multiple �lyovers, ring roadsare being constructed in major cities,Delhi’s Metro or Mumbai’s BandraWorli Link�lyover or Ahmedabad’sBRTS are two success stories in handling urban population pressure, ‘greenhouses’ by Magarpatta in Pune andShrachi group in Kolkata and others arenow commonplace.

Technological Promises:For long, India has remained deprivedof the power of technology harnessinggrowth, except for the �irst generationtelecommunication revolution. Butnow, with 3G and 4G in public use andthe evolution of smart classes andhomes, the enabling power of technology is happening on a large scale. Further, the Centre for the Development ofAdvanced Computing is leading effortsto make India a supercomputing power.Delhibased designer Sumit Dagar isdeveloping a smartphone that can in

clude the blind in the mobile phone revolution. Technology is being evolved totackle concerns of safety of women inurban India, handle the vagaries ofmonsoons in rural India, and largescale supply chain management ofgoods for retailing across the nation.

Finance & Banking:There has been a signi�icant growth inthe banking sector. The State Bank ofIndia is competing hard with the bestamong private banks. There is a movement towards 100 percent account abilityin each city and town. Interesting to noteis how the dedicated banking of�icials ofErnakulam in Kerala have ensured everysingle adult there opened a bank account.Financial awareness, the need to save, invest and use money wisely is on the riseeven among lower and lower middleclasses. This is India’s sureshot way oftackling economic slowdown. The gov

ernment is moving towards cash transferto below poverty line families and thiswill also give a boost to the banking ability of the nation. The multiple use uniqueidenti�ication number Adhaar will giveimpetus to this process.

Educational Rise:Interesting and unique initiatives arebeing taken up in the domain of education. Amit Bhatia’s Aspire India is on amission to make young graduates moreemployable. Bengalurubased Unnati imparts vocational skills to young peoplefrom deprived backgrounds for free.Gram Tarang trains young people frombackward and Naxal hit corners ofOdisha. A number of business leaders andcorporate houses are funding free qualityeducation for the deprived under Corporate Social Responsibility schemes. Wiprois coming out with a chain of schoolsacross India.

A night view of Ahmedabad city

EDITORIAL 08


Several corporate houses, like the

Birlas, Kirloskar and Adani have come

out with their own BSchools and many

more are contemplating the same. Delhi

University’s Bachelor of Elementary Ed

ucation course has become a bench

mark for teacher’s training

programmes. NIIT’s initiative to intro

duce chess in schools has become in

creasingly popular. Over the last two

decades, the midday meal scheme has

made a great difference to school enrol

ment. Online learning portals, a costef

fective way of improving the quality of

school education, are catching up

across the nation.

Interestingly, the literacy levels of

the poorest of the socalled Bimaru

states, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, are

improving fast. Further, sports be

yond cricket are becoming viable,

popular and contributing to national

health and wealth, getting corporate

endorsements and global recognitions

too. Case in point is the fact of six

medals in Olympics and the support

for the medallists back home.

Also, higher education has led to

more women leaders climbing the

corporate ladder than ever before. A

point to note is that the CEOs of all

three major private banks in India are

ladies: HDFC, ICICI and Axis Bank.

Healthcare Initiatives:There have been praiseworthy initia

tives here as well. Health insurance

schemes launched by the state gov

ernments of Karnataka and Maha

rashtra are benefitting people in the

rural areas and the poor. The Madu

raibased Aravind Eye Hospitals

blends social commitment with qual

ity healthcare. A virtual collaboration

by thousands of researchers could re

duce the cost of lifesaving drugs. Ma

harashtra’s mission to track and

prevent child malnutrition is yielding

results. Rajasthan’s generic drug

stores have cut down on prices of

medicines heavily. The NRI involve

ment in the health sector is growing

as in the case of Monilekh Hospital in

Jaipur by UAEbased NRI Ashok

Odhrani.

Entrepreneurship On An AllTimeRiseConsequent to most of the developments, entrepreneurship, includingthose of the small scale and social varieties, are on an alltime high today.The proposed National Entrepreneurship Policy could be a shot in the armfor the startups. Experienced entrepreneurs and former corporate honchos are coming out to supportstartups. Social entrepreneurs arefinding creative solutions and making apro�it for the stakeholders they arebringing together. With the mobile revolution sweeping across the nation, ingenious new services are beingdelivered to small towns and villages.Several global seed funds have Indianentrepreneurs on their radar today. SMEEntrepreneurship training by TiE, several NRIs, NABARD and SIDBI are alsoimportant cases in point here.

Governance & Democratic Institutions:Several states are voting for development work, shunning traditionalthoughts of ‘votebanks’ and ‘antiincumbency’ as seen in Gujarat, Punjab andBihar. Even Goa, with one out of threeresidents being Christians, has resolutely elected a BJP government.

Shimoga, Karnataka, has become the�irst Indian city to completely digitizethe property records. The Goods and Service Tax, expectedsoon, will break �iscal barriers betweenstates and create a common market inthe country. Whatever its shortcomingsmight be, the Mahatma Gandhi NationalRural Employment Guarantee Schemehas been a major gamechanger. The National Food Security Bill is also expectedto be an important step towards tacklinghunger and malnutrition. The Right toInformation law has empowered citizens and made corruption a major political issue as seen in the context of JanLokpal Bill movement led by Anna Hazare.

There are several instances where thegovernment, lawyers, police and volunteers are working for poor communitiesto ensure equality before the law. Theadvocacy campaign by Trilochan Sastry’s team against the criminalization ofpolitics is making an impact today. There

are also emerging instances of how wellrunning Panchayats are changing fortunes of villages, as in Maharashtra’sHiware Bazar of Ahmednagar district.

There is an alternative India amidstthe despair of corruption, rapes and economic downturn. Combating negativeforces like these must also go hand inhand with the rise of this alternativeIndia to envision the future of this greatcountry.

Gujarat Solar Park

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GUJARAT SPELLSOPPORTUNITIES

With a decisive mandate for the Narendra Modi-led BJP governmentfor �ive more years, trade and industry can expect further impetus tothe existing schemes and policies in state , says Vidyut Prabha


COVER STORY 10

Hardly does a month gowithout Indian mediahighlighting Gujarat’s development story. Now frequently internationalmedia too, do so. Reports

on recent developments show that Gujarat is a "happening state" and an important part of India’s growth engine.The Economist has described Gujarat asIndia’s Guangdong, and the state thatoffers a glimpse of a possible industrialfuture for India.

What makes Gujarat tick? The answers are many, though not dif�icult tograsp: its people’s entrepreneurialspirit, mahajan (guild) system, progressive governance over the years, a thriving civil society and am alert anddemanding citizens, strategic geographical location giving it more than 1600kmlong sea coast, keeping pace withthe changing global trade and commercial practices and at the same time respect for its traditions.

Political stability, and hence consistency in policies, specially over the lastdecade, too, has played a role. With adecisive mandate for the NarendraModiled BJP government for �ive moreyears, trade and industry can expectfurther impetus to the existing schemesand policies.

All this and much more has made Gujarat account a massive 16 per centshare of the country’s industrial production and an even more impressive22 per cent of exports even though thestate has just 5 per cent of India’s population. So many things indeed work exceedingly well in Gujarat. So much sothat the Union looks up to it, along witha few states like Maharashtra and Karnataka, to power India’s story. Over theyears, the Planning Commission hasgiven Gujarat a growth target higherthan the rest of the country’s. And Gujarat has achieved it.

Gujarat always spelt prospects; nowone can expect further easing of the atmosphere. The upcoming Vibrant Gu

jarat summit will unlock many opportunities in areas such as industry, education and social sector.

AllRound PraisesPraises have come for Gujarat from allquarters: UNESCO, former PresidentAPJ Abdul Kalam, the Supreme Courtand high courts, Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s political opponents, independent thinktanks, news magazines,visiting experts and industrialists.

We may begin with what has becomeperhaps the most sensitive concern inthe country today when it comes for facilitating industrialization: land acquisition. It is an emotive subject acrossthe nation, something that forced TataGroup to withdraw from West Bengaland plant its micro car project atSanand on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.The way the issue has been handled inGujarat has attracted praise fromSupreme Court which has asked otherstates to learn from it.

After land the other infrastructurethat industry looks for is electricity androad network. On the power front theachievement has been lauded by thefederal Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who incidentally happensto be from Congress party and astaunch ideological opponent of BJP. InMay 2008, he said, “Gujarat has shownus the way on how to �ix power (problem) for agriculture.”

Revamping water management andextension services apart, Gujarat government achieved a major breakthrough in rural electri�ication.Launched in 2003, Jyotigram Yojana ensured 100 per cent electri�ication of thestate’s villages and reasonably regularsupply in three years. The scheme included a crucial component of powersupply for groundwater managementwith eight hours a day of power madeavailable. Economists attribute Gujarat’s double digit growth to some ofthese major initiatives on the supplyside.


COVER STORY 11


COVER STORY 12

While industry has received arguably a preferentialtreatment, agriculture has not been ignored. PlanningCommission’s �igures speak for themselves. FormerPresident A P J Abdul Kalam has hailed high agriculture growth that Gujarat has achieved in the past sixyears. The state has registered a sustained agricultural growth of 7 to 9 per cent over the past six years far ahead of country’s national average growth ofjust about 2.5 to 3 per cent.

Incidentally, interlinking of rivers or interbasintransfer of water has to a certain extent helped irrigate the unirrigated land to some extent in a largelywaterde�icient state. Dr Kalam has eulogised thestate for its effort at no less a forum than Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Other welfare measures, especially children’s andpregnant women’s health, expansion of knowledge inrural areas, too have elicited admiration. UNICEF haspicked up Gujarat’s scheme for pregnant women, asreported by The Times of India in January 2009. “TheGujarat government’s initiative (Chiranjeevi Yojana)is a departure from previous practice as it takes soleresponsibility for the reimbursement of privatehealthcare providers, rather than relying on intermediary parties such as insurers,” the UNICEF in its report ‘State of World Children 2009’ stated.

Another area in which Gujarat has been hailed istaking help of technology to spread knowledge. Incidentally it is again a Union minister who has commended the effort. Speaking at a programme in

A view of Kite festival


COVER STORY 13

Ahmedabad in July 2011, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily praised Modi for his effort to make available elibrary at even taluka level. Moily said that theCentre had plans on the same line and a nationwide elibrary was going to be introduced on August 15.

Technology has also been used to take governanceto the doorstep of the people. Dr Kalam has madespecial reference to it in his speeches as it has alsobrought transparency in the system. He thinks lack oftransparency is coming in the way of developmentreaching villages, and cited as a model ‘Krushi Mahotsav’ being implemented by Gujarat government to ensure that the rural sector reaps the bene�its ofgrowth. Nearly 100,000 government of�icials, fromthe chief minister to talukalevel staff, agriculture scientists and other stakeholders spend a month in ruralareas demonstrating the best of technologies to farmers.

Such initiatives indicate a strong administrationwill to ensure development reaches the rural sector.Krushi Mahotsav tours all 18,600 villages of the state,providing information and counseling on soil health,organic farming, technology inputs, irrigation, etc, besides infusing a new spirit of change and mass mobilization.

Areas To Look IntoAll this and much more. Yet Gujarat has a long way togo. Taking rapid strides in industrial development, thestate has to cover a lot of ground, especially on the social front as some surveys have revealed. In fact, Gujaratlags many states which in the past have been condemned as “BIMARU”. (While BIMARU stands for Bihar,Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, the termwhen read as an acronym means “sick” in Hindi).

[ [Gujarat government achieved a major breakthrough in ruralelectrification. Launched in 2003, Jyotigram Yojana ensured

100 per cent electrification of the state’s villages and reasonably regular supply in three years. The scheme

included a crucial component of power supply for groundwater management with eight hours a day of

power made available.


Despite impressive growth, Gujarat has not been ableto reduce malnourishment levels, while Uttar Pradeshand Bihar, among the most backward in the country,have done better in improving the lot of their marginalized dalits and tribals. These are some of the conclusions of the India Human Development Report2011 released by the federal government in October2011.

The report said high rates of child malnutritionwere a major concern for the country. It said Gujaratwas among the worst performers, with 69.7 per centkids up to age 5 being anaemic and 44.6per cent suffering from malnutrition, proving that high growthwas no guarantor of improvement in health. “High incidence of malnutrition among children is foundamong poor states. However, Gujarat, with a relativelyhigh per capita income, witnessed a higher incidenceof child malnutrition,” the report read.

However, economist of repute and former Directorof IIMA, Prof Bakul Dholakia points out that Gujarathas taken a lot of initiatives on social sector, the results of which will bear fruit in the next few yearsconsidering such efforts take time to show, sometimea decade or even more.

Going by the growth rate of the economy, Gujarathas the capacity to lead the country faster out of theeconomic slowdown. India has been growing at a fastrate in the last couple of years. The faster you grow,

the more you get hit by the slowdown. Under the circumstances, Gujarat can exercise the pull factor, ProfDholakia was quoted as saying in Ahmedabad Mirror,a morning compact from The Times of India stable.

Investment is key to recovery. While the investment climate of India is not as good as it used to be afew months ago, Gujarat continues to be an attractivedestination. Besides, Gujarat is a leader in terms ofsavings. The economic scenario of Gujarat should notfalter, the state government is striving hard to createenabling conditions.

“The Vibrant Gujarat Summit of 2009 has pushedGujarat into a different plane. It’s an orbital jump. Acommitment to invest $240 billion is phenomenal.Mind you, it is a shade less than the Gross DomesticProduct of India (a little more than $1 trillion),” ProfDholakia was quoted as saying.

The journey of “global Gujarat” has just begun. The8000odd MoUs signed will give the state the required height to travel any distance. The opportunityis there to gain any speed one wants. Tail wind isfavourable and should propel the state faster.

There has been some criticism in the past of thegap between the intent expressed by the entrepreneurs and the actual investment made. But let us realise that conversion percentage is rising and thetrend is likely to continue. In fact, there are reasons tobelieve that it will rise sharply now on.

CM Narendra Modi

COVER STORY 14


Something remarkable that happened at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit2011 was the emphasis thatsmall and medium enterprises and quality control inthis sector received. The state government has enabled the SMEs to enter into tieups for import oftechnology that will enable them to attain zero defectproducts. Even if our SMEs can bring down their defect level to 23 per cent, it will spell nothing lessthan a miracle for the state’s economy.

Not just other states of India, but the entire worldwill come to them to source their components. Defectis a cost on the producer, but it translates into a bigger cost for the procurer as his production is stalledand installed capacity goes unutilised. Let us hopethe SMEs make the most of the opportunity thrownopen for them. Their success will make them a dependable supplier and Gujarat can emerge as the outsourcing hub for the world.

Social sector, too, got its due this time. Many projects are already in the works and the results will beseen soon.

Those living in Gujarat can be proud of their state.It is so very satisfying to hear president, judiciary,prime minister, ministers, people’s representatives,industrialists and civil society heap praise on theprogress that the state has made and the environment that it offers to entrepreneurs. They have sortof become the brand ambassadors of Gujarat. It isnow for the people to determine the distance thatthey want to cover.

Harness The NRG PowerHow can people of Gujarati origin contribute to thisstory called Gujarat? Many are already contributingtheir mite and many more are eager to do so. NRIs

have to make signi�icant contribution to technological as well as social development back home. Theycan harness the problemsolving skills of management acquired in highly competitive environmentduring impressive careers in the West.

They can cultivate young engineers in diverseareas like interpreting technological innovations,supercomputer level processing and also researching defence equipment to help reduce India's dependence on these crucial imports.

NRI professionals should also think of promotingsocial development by linking their knowledge withsuch projects in their vatan. Some should employtheir knowledge from medical technology for safe deliveries; give exposure to rural kids to new vistas ofeducation through softwares; promote use of alternative energy or harness animation skills to makeHanuman as popular as Mickey Mouse, and KrishnaGanapati more lovable than Donald Duck even amongnonIndian children!

State and Union governments should make theirreturn hasslefree by facilitating relevant procedures,and commit to reduce corruption that tires out thosewho want to come back. Modi with his minister forNRG affairs can help NRGs, settled here, to work fortheir dream projects in health care, water management, literacy, tourism, energy and environment. Weneed to �ind how to build a critical mass of NRGs whocan enhance the image of Brand Gujarat — Pitroda toGennext Anand Shah.

Awareness about new opportunities offered byGujarat among East African governments and NRGs isgrowing through a process mainly mediatedthrough Gujarat chief minister with his positiveimage among them.

[ [

The Vibrant Gujarat Summit of 2009 has pushed Gujaratinto a different plane. It’s an orbital jump. A commitment

to invest $240 billion is phenomenal. Mind you, it is ashade less than the Gross Domestic Product of India (a

little more than $1 trillion).

COVER STORY 15


All NRGs need not return to vatan, permanently.Many may choose to live in their adopted land to contribute there; or to project the image of a con�identand globalising Gujarat, or work as communicators toenlighten a section of misguided local communitiesand NRIs by clearing their foggy mindset about Gujarat.

The sun never sets for the Gujarati diaspora. Pickedup from Fiji to Zambia, Leicester to New Jersey, NRGpearls are being put together as necklace at the historicglobal NRG meet in Gujarat on its 50th Foundation Day.With grit to withstand extremely hostile cultural and

political environment, NRGs have prospered in suchdifferent regions as East Africa, England, America,

New Zealand and Dubai.

The Gujarati example pre�igures a global society inthe making. The Gujarati diaspora has shown its capacity to manage distance by its noted orientation to orbonding with their motherland. Diaspora conferencesat Sardar Patel University and Henchandracharya NorthGujarat University have now and then demonstratedthe signs of the growing interest in and increased interface between diaspora and Gujarat government and interaction within the diaspora itself. The highlysuccessful 'Chalo Gujarat' World Gujarati Conferenceshas helped broaden the NRG participation base.

Recent trends as accelerated by the farsighted dynamic diaspora policy of the state have created theright environment for Gujarati/Indian diaspora to reconnect with its homeland. Chief Minister Narendra

COVER STORY 16

A night view of Ahmedabad

Modi and NRG Minister Jay Narayan Vyas have revitalised NRG Foundation and prepared database ofNRGs spread across worldwide. The state's initiatives for NRG meet and NGOdriven developmentalprojects are expected to help translate a new policyframework of 'reconnecting the Gujarati diaspora'.

Examples of NRGs individually donating to modernise their alma mater in their villages/home townand renovate the temples that they used to visit, setting up universities, promoting medical tourism, creating healthcare facility in tribal areas are many.

Besides, Gujaratis associated with such USbasedNGOs as Indicorps, Share and Care, AIF, Silicon Valley's ICA, are helping rural development projects inGujarat among other parts of India.

Yet, as Pravin Sheth and Pradeep Mallik in theirbook “Happening State Gujarat” pointed out, the diaspora lags behind in playing outstanding role in Gujarat's fastforward development. How can theundercurrent of their bonding with their homelandbe recharged so as to get their resources channelisedin Gujarat's developmental drive? Is it worth its whileand possible to strive for shaping a 'Vaishnik—vaishvik+sthanik' (glocal) Gujarati diaspora? What arethe viable steps and phases to build a global/glocal

Gujarati community — worldwide? What should bethe nature of 'a Global Gujarati'?

Overseas Gujaratis, and there are plenty of them,attending the present Vibrant Gujarat Summit, whohave a global and developmental perspective. Theyshould be identi�ied and persuaded to work on thispoint.

COVER STORY 17

[ [The sun never sets for theGujarati diaspora. Picked up

from Fiji to Zambia, Leicester to New Jersey,NRG pearls are being put

together as necklace at thehistoric global NRG meet in

Gujarat on its 50th Foundation Day.

Gift City, Gandhinagar


The tallest leader in the mainopposition party of India,Bharatiya Janata Party, is undoubtedly Narendra Modi. It isonly a question of time beforethe pressures of the rank and�ile of the party will force thedisconnected national leadership to come scurrying to Modito lead the party at the centre

or be its Prime Ministerialcandidate for the general

elections in 2014.

Modi’s Journey: Version 2.0

The journeyof this sin

gle resoluteman atthe topof Gujarat’saffairsstartedas a

Pracharakof Rashtriya

Swayamsevak

Sangh in the �irst stage of hispublic life. He was deputed toGujarat politics to quell thecon�lict between the KesubhaiPatel and Shankersinh Vaghelafactions of BJP some 12 yearsago, heralding the start of version 2.0 of his public life.

Since then, he has abstainedfrom going to Delhi much, disassociated himself from national politics of BJP andfocused on Gujarat to ensurehis third consecutive victory inthe Gujarat Assembly electionsas recently as in December lastyear.

That he will win the elections for the BJP was a foregone conclusion. The bigquestion was that of the margin. His focus was purely oneconomic development, and heunveiled his objective in style,accompanied by the glamourof 3D technologies and theforce of social media apartfrom mainstream media. Thesplit of Keshubhai Patel, thesupposedly smart campaign byCongress, some disgruntled elements within the BJP, and a

NARENDRA MODI’SPOLITICAL

JOURNEY 3.0: A ROADMAP

In Gujarat, Narendra Modi’s personality and excellent work have made him the monarch of allhe surveys. But once he heads the BJP at the national level, he will need a slight change in strategy, writes Ujjwal K Chowdhury


GUJARAT 20

critical national media gave up initialsemblance of a contest which later wentoff with the Modi juggernaut goingacross the state.

Presently, Gujarat holds around 30per cent of India's stock market capitalization, contributes 22 per cent of thetotal exports and about 9.5 per cent ofthe country's total workforce. Gujarat isalso a power surplus state, providingelectricity even to the villages. The statehas registered more than 12 per centagricultural growth in the last �ive yearsagainst the national average of two percent.

The per capita income at constantprices has shown a robust growth in thelast �ive years. There has also been amajor thrust on infrastructure. The development of ports and portbased investment activity is an instance. A planfor shipbuilding parks along the coastline is in place as well.

Due to the stability of the Government and a riotfree Gujarat, investorshave started putting their money in theState. Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors'Summits (VGGIS) of 2007, 2009 and2011 have attracted investors who havesigned MoUs for investments exceedingRs.35 lakh crore.

Hence, the development slogan, softHindutva through Vivekananda Yatraand no tickets to minorities, a technosavvy one person, one agenda focusedcampaign has paid off, yielding a richdividend of 115 MLAs for the BJP in aHouse of 182 MLAs.

Modi’s Journey’s Version 3.0: The 10point RoadmapHis own desire and the call from withinthe party is motivating him to move onfor a larger role either as the BJP President in 2013 or directly as the PrimeMinisterial candidate of BJP for 2014General Elections. And this he should bemoving towards. The BJP rank and �ilein Gujarat did carry out a campaign inthe last fortnight before Gujarat elections within the electorate, “You elect a

CM, we will give you a PM.” The most

interesting thing to watch now is theroadmap that Modi will take in his thirdand most crucial and challenging phasein public and political life.

First, managing home. Gujarat is hishome turf. But, if he moves to the Centre, he has to leave a legacy that symbolizes him in every sense. Signi�icantly, hehas kept his Cabinet small, avoided controversial faces like Amit Shah, and hasat least two favorites in signi�icant positions for grooming a future CM (and ifneeded, a Deputy CM too): SaurabhPatel and Anandiben Patel. And thenthere is the seniormost minister, Nitin

Patel, as well. A mega success in the Vibrant Gujarat 2013, focusing more onsocial development sector that is knownto be his relatively weaker domain, willgive him a complete sweep at home. Hisovertures to Keshubhai in spite of thePatel patriarch’s complete electoralwashout are of immense signi�icance forGujarat watchers.

Second, managing the Pariwar. Hecannot afford to alienate Nagpur, whichstill holds a veto power in the SanghParivar. As his popularity soars, RSSunder Mohan Bhagwat may be left withno choice but to rally behind its extraordinary Swayamsevak. But Modi woulddo well to keep Bhagwat in good humorat this stage. Tougher shall be managinga few Central BJP leaders, most of whomhave no roots of their own in terms ofmass support. However, deft handlinghere and nurturing the known proModiforces at BJP headquarters (Jaitley,Naidu, Punj, Smriti, et al) shall reap dividends on this front.

Third, managing the NDA. It is almostcertain that JD (United) of NitishKumarSharad Yadav shall leave NDA ifModi is the frontman. But, Modi has hisown dark horses: Jayalalitha ledAIADMK, Naveen Patnaik led BJD, Uddhav led Shiv Sena and Raj led MNS inMaharashtra are sure to back Modiwhich will surpass the strength of JD(U)that is concentrated in Bihar alone. Interestingly, BS Yediyurappa, the beleaguered rebel BJP leader who has just setup Karnataka Janata Party, may stage acomeback if Modi is the central leaderof BJP. Modi might even win over YSRCongress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy,having a windfall gain in AndhraPradesh.

Fourth, managing minorities. WhatModi needs to guard is not to create anantiminority image any further, ratherfocus on nonappeasement antivotebank allpeople development agenda,and being silent on minorityfocuseddiscourse in Indian politics in his owninterest. A hawkish Modi will not gowell with the liberal media and global

Presently, Gujarat holds around 30per cent of India's stock marketcapitalization, contributes 22 percent of the total exports and about9.5 per cent of the country's totalworkforce. Gujarat is also a powersurplus state, providing electricityeven to the villages. The state hasregistered more than 12 per centagricultural growth in the last fiveyears against the national averageof two per cent.

The per capita income at constant prices has shown a robustgrowth in the last five years. Therehas also been a major thrust on infrastructure. The development ofports and port-based investmentactivity is an instance. A plan forshipbuilding parks along the coastline is in place as well.Due to the stability of the Government and a riot-free Gujarat,investors have started putting theirmoney in the State. Vibrant GujaratGlobal Investors' Summits (VGGIS)of 2007, 2009 and 2011 have attracted investors who havesigned MoUs for investments exceeding Rs.35 lakh crore.

Hence, the development slogan,soft Hindutva through VivekanandaYatra and no tickets to minorities, atechno-savvy one person, oneagenda focused campaign has paidoff, yielding a rich dividend of 115MLAs for the BJP in a House of 182MLAs.


GUJARAT 21

GUJARAT 22

image. And also a bendingoverheelsModi will not go well with his predominantly Hindu constituency. However, notickets to minorities is an unwise policyin a nation of 25 per cent minority population and India is no Gujarat.

Fifth, managing the riottarnishedimage and legal cases. Herein again, silence is golden. One partial statementafter Gujarat victory this time was itselfa good strategy, “Forgive me if I havedone any mistake”. This is the best policy: being humble but not talking aboutthe past and riots. For law, let the lawtake its own course. It was a wise stepto have remained silent when AmitShah, Mayaben Kodnani, Babu Bajrangiand others had been arrested. If some ofthese people are convicted and punished by the Court, Modi is expected toremain unattached and nonchalant.Similar is the case with regards to copslike Sanjeev Bhatt and others. Let thelaw of the land take its own course.Vengeance is a measure of lesser mortals.

Sixth, creating symbolisms. It will bea great move for Modi to seek electionto the Parliament from Lucknow, whichelected Atal Behari Vajpayee severaltimes. Symbolically strong, this will rejuvenate the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, bringin Kalyan Singh at the centre stage in UP,and lead to soft Hindutva polarization infavour of the BJP in most of the Hindiheartland states which dominate thecontours of the Indian Parliament to alarge extent. Symbolism will also needModi to reinvent Atal sarkar slogan ofVajpayee days. Indians are now lookingfor a strong leader after dealing withManmohan Singh’s feeble leadership forclose to a decade. Hence, the focus onhis strong leadership of Gujarat nowbeing brought to the national level,focus on nononsense approach on foreign policy, focus on strong internal security, and instilling a pride inIndianness above caste and community,if done well and creatively, shall surelyreap huge dividend for Modi’s journeyahead.

Seventh, strengthening mass constituencies. In 2014, the dominant section of the electorate shall be people

below 35 years of age. The electoratebetween 18 and 35 years of age are expected to be above 40 per cent of thevoters, and in case of a good franchise,the younger voters are expected to beparticipating more. Modi has succeededtremendously with the youth, and thewomen in Gujarat ensuring a hattrickof victories. If he can put forth a viableplan for Young India, package and communicate it in a technosavvy way (forwhich he is wellknown), and make itcaste and communityneutral, he is assured of a huge support herein.

Eighth, harnessing the woman power.Cultivating the youth will also have animpact on women voters at large. Halfthe young people are women, and alarge part of elder women are dependent emotionally and �inancially on theyounger population. Also, Modi’s personal charisma, single status, and astraight talking image go down wellwith the women. He, however, will needto walk the talk on women’s safety issues which is a major concern for alarge number of women,both urban andrural.

Ninth, envisioning an AlternativeIndia. Herein lies the major creativechallenge to Moditva. If he can changethe discourse of Indian politics from divisive identity to development issues,from regional parochialism to a uniformIndianness, from Western outlook topolitical language to a pride in everything Indian, he will have a great start tothis third phase in his political journey.This is easier said than done in a nationof immense diversity. But this same diversity and con�licts provide an opportunity to speak of unity, pride andbonding beyond votebanks, for him.The approach has worked in Gujarat,

and can work across India too. And hiscommand over Hindi is an additional aspect too.

Tenth, and �inally, creating a globalimage and acceptability. While VibrantGujarat has given Modi the global imageof a productive performing leader, andthe Indian diaspora looks up to him fora national leadership role now, he needsto cultivate major global forces andglobal Indians even more. Hence, formaland informal channels need to beevolved through visits, use of media, receiving

delegations, use of global Indian bodies, which will position Modi as theundisputable leader whom the nationhas been waiting for long.

Therefore…Modi is BJP’s destiny and India’s necessity. The nation is facing a huge leadership crisis because of leaders such as afeeble Manmohan, a dithering Rahul, avanishing Pranab, and an arrogant Chidambaram. Modi plays the politicalgame solo in Gujarat with a devastatingeffect, but at the national level, he has tolearn to be a teamleader while beingthe �irst among equals. A great communicator as he is, he also gets carriedaway by his own rhetoric, which may bechallenging in the television age andwith an allround media boom. Hewould do well to create a power team atthe national level, trusting key aides beyond Gujaratis (as he has done with hissleuth of trusted South Indian bureaucrats in Gandhinagar), power symbols,social media communication (the �irstIndian politician to use Google+ Hangout), and his bevy of star buddies (fromsocial workers, intellectuals, cricketers,�ilmstars, et al).

Delegates having a good time during Vibrant Gujarat, 2011


INTERVIEW 24

Lively and positive, Kishwar Desai engages you immediately with her infectious enthusiasm. Based in Londonand India, Haryanaborn Kishwar ismarried to the UK economist and Peer,Lord Meghnad Desai. As a frequent traveller to India where her two grownup children reside, Ms. Desai(nee Rosha) has a solid career in printand broadcast media, achieving household name status across the Indian subcontinent.

Through television, documentaryproduction and writing, Kishwar has exposed many taboo social issues suchas foeticide and infanticide bringingthem into the public arena.

‘There are no full stops in life’, says

Kishwar when asked about her most interesting role to date. ‘I’m having a lotof fun. I �ind most interesting doingwhat I’m doing right now. I enjoy a challenge and trying out new things . . . Iwant to grow constantly as an individual. Sometimes I do wonder if it’sreckless to create insecurity in life byconstantly plunging into new things butI believe in constantly moving on. I don’thold much fascination with money,wealth and being in the limelight . . . thisenables one to take risks in life. Life isvery exciting!’

Coming from a traditional Punjabibackground Kishwar was the �irstwoman in her family to take up a fulltime professional career, A graduate

from Lady Shri Ram College, in Delhishe married her �irst husband, a company executive, soon after. Life forKishwar could have been a whirlwind oforganising parties, clubs and lookingpretty but instead she wanted to dosomething more meaningful with herlife. Starting within a Calcutta University A/V research centre makingeducational documentaries, she workedher way up from ground level. Here shelearnt about TV and taught herself toedit and write scripts.

After a stint at Femina magazineKishwar joined NDTV. This was followedby more work as a print journalist, moving on soon afterwards to televisionwhere she worked as an anchor, script

Lady Kishwar Desai, wife, mother, author, documentary filmmaker, journalist, news anchorand social campaigner talks to Yasmin Chandra-Singh about her career, personal inspirationand the social issues that lie at the heart of her work

WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE


writer and producer with most majornetworks in India. Her last job was asVice President, Zee Tele�ilms. She describes hers as a ‘reverse career:‘From NDTV I moved from English language programming to Hindi language which was quite new at thattime . . . from there I joined a Punjabi regional station. That’s where the realchallenge for me lay: to go to the grassroots, talk to the people and reach a different audience’. This constant desireto move on is a re�lection of her �luentapproach to life and her career.

‘I’ve been very lucky that I;ve alwaysworked with people wanted to give mea chance. I received huge encouragement from women at Femina, NDTV andIndia Today, which is in contrast withthe common perception that women areunsupportive of other women in theworkplace. In fact many times I’veworked with almost allfemale production crews’.

Exposure to social issues, selflearning and openness to selfimprovementhave guided Kishwar’s work. Her dedication, honed by working in the�ield, has led to her uncovering manyuncomfortable social truths which sheenergetically challenges through herwork.

‘I believe in being passionate aboutwhatever you do: believe in what I’mdoing. For me it’s about making a genuine difference. When there is something I really believe in that’s whatmotivates me to go for it. Whether it’srunning a TV channel to becoming awriter, which for me was a new dimension. This was in spite of knowingit would be a long time before the returns may come in. For me work hasto have some value, meaning for societyand some social message’.

Following from Costa awardwinningsuccess in 2011 with her debut novelWitness the Night, Kishwar Desai hastackled the thorny issue of genderbasedinfanticide and most recently penned anovel about the booming internationalIVF and babyfarming industry. This international industry is currently mushrooming in India and Kishwar hasplaced herself at the heart of an international debate.

One might be tempted to classifyKishwar as a feminist but she considersherself instead as someone with liberalviews; someone who is occupied withvaluedriven work.

On the topic of sexselective abortions, research shows that all levelsof Asian society tend to favour malechildren rather than girls. Kishwar’sview is that this is true of the communities both in India and UK.

‘ . . . one of the reasons that Britainbanned sexselection in 2007, I believe,was because it was being abused byAsians,” (The Hindu, feb 2011)

‘Sex selection is an ingrained socialpoint of view that needs to be changed.The present second and third generation children of Indian immigrants arefar more engaged and willing to change.It has an enormous impact on studentvisitors from India when they see thedifferent set up in the UK. In India itmay take another generation partly because the balance of society is moremale than female. There should neverbe any sex selection . . . it’s tamperingwith nature’.

‘Social change requires lot of rigourand time. It’s not instant coffee. It requires struggle. To create awarenessand to change thought processes alltakes time. Across the world reactionsare similar. India created a huge stormas there is no surrogacy law so it’s a bigissue. UK has law (surrogacy). In Indiapeople were horri�ied as they’d noteven thought about it. Lots of articlesappeared and the book made the bestseller list partly because it received somuch publicity’.

Slowly, change can be seen to be happening within what is really an issueof genocide. ‘There are villages in thePunjab where they have begun takingthe issue seriously. Policy decisions arere�lecting a new view. Incentives such as

money as well as an eighth additionalMarriage vow to take care of baby girlshave been implemented. The idea of celebrating and not despairing at thebirth of a girl child is growing. Anecdotal evidence suggests that a certaintype of thinking prevails among a largenumber of UKbased Indians. Therehave been recent cases involving thePakistani community for example thatinclude, honour killings, foeticide, infanticide as well as forced marriagesdemonstrating an overarching lack ofrespect.’

Programmes such as Aamir Khan’ssociodocumentary talk show SatyamevJayate, may herald a change in audienceappetites. Witness the Night has beentranslated into 25 languages stimulatingdebate on the issue in China especially.The book also has a �ilm option, whichaccording to Kishwar may not have happened in the past. She’s enthusiasticabout the idea of a �ilm to further promote the social issues she’s so passionate about: ‘�iction serves to create an emotional response in the audience’.

So what next for Kishwar? The Sea ofInnocence, a novel set in Goa has justbeen �inished and deals with sexualityof young girls. This is the third and �inalpart of her Social Thriller trilogy aboutgender issues. Origins of Love, Witnessthe Night and The Sea of Innocence areall published by Simon and Schuster.

Currently she is working on a bookabout Indian Cinema.

Lady Kishwar Desai is a columnist forThe Week magazine, The Asian Agenewspaper as well as the Tribune newspaper. She is Guardian (UK) contributor on: sex selective abortion, theMumbai bomb blasts, plight of Indianwomen and international issues as wellas the exploitation of surrogates.

http://kishwardesai.blogspot.in/

(Yasmin Chandra-Singh MscA freelance writer, lecturer, print andmedia producer she is a contributor to avariety of magazines: (UK) New GlobalIndian Magazine, HELLO! Magazine andCo-ordinating Editor for Sutra−TheThread , the research journal of ShrutiFoundation, India. In 2009 )

Programmes such as Aamir Khan’ssocio-documentary talk showSatyamevJayate, may herald a hangein audience appetites. Witness theNight has been translated into 25 languages stimulating debate on theissue in China especially.The bookalso has a film option,which accordingto Kishwar may not have happened inthe past. She’s enthusiastic about theidea of a film to further promote thesocial issues she’s so passionateabout: ‘fiction serves to create anemotional response in the audience’.

INTERVIEW 25


MASTERSTROKE 32

The relationship between the mothercountry and the great Indian Diasporahas been ambivalent at best.

Hardnosed business acumen andsofthearted nationalistic zeal are notnecessarily compatible. Foreign basedIndians far outnumber mainland Chinese equivalents but only dispatch 20percent of the foreign earnings senthome by the Chinese.

The reasons for these are multiple.Indians invest largely in themselves andlarger family units through land, housing and other property deals. Businessventures still suffer from time lag andthe traditional choke offered by bureaucratic red tape. The pillar to post scramble, the exhausting chase for NOCs and aseries of signatures has caused many anNRI stalwart to put his hands up, sur

render the blueprint and �ly out unsatis�ied.

Efforts to improve the relationshiphave been made with the appearance ofevery new government but they soonfade away and the spasm of hope thatmaybe this time around there will betangible changes is usually stillborn.

NRIs have mockingly called themselves Not Required Indians and mayhave unwittingly contributed to theprocess of distance and disaffectionduring the 'foreign goods' period. In theseventies and eighties Indians abroadwere supercilious, contemptuous andjudgmental, this social arrogance underscored by a �istful of dollars and thecraze at home for buying foreign commodities. Even as Indians at home resented these 'visitors' they �locked to

buy their used goods... just because theywere made abroad.

That desire has largely evaporated inIndia but the residual suspicion remains.

An across the board fallback from theultra protectionist days also promotes afeeling of deep alienation from the industrial base in the region under reccetowards the foreign based Indian entrepreneur. Local industrial echelons believe NRIs demand too muchconcession. NRIs feel that indigenouscompanies are mollycoddled and afraidof competition. In this list of negatives,the inconstancy of subsequent governments and the very real fear that fragilegovernments create fragile policy has arole to play. NRIs need assurance andadequate guarantees. To expect them to

The

Of Doing Business

The 7 Points That Make For ACloser Relationship

By Bikram Vohra


MASTERSTROKE 33

invest out of stirred up guilt is unfair and unacceptable. Why put money into arrangements that might collapse with the governmentin power?

On this canvas it is unlikely that NRIs locatedlargely in the four blocks of the Far East andAustralasia, the Gulf and Middle East, Europeand the UK and the Americas will heed the callof the annual budget incentives (another one in3 months) without some more tangible evidencethat the incumbent government understands thetexture of the relationship and has a special feelfor the NRI status and its unique problems.Some visible and immediate window dressingwill be vital to get this issue to �ly. The �irst genuine step would be to activate the right of franchise beyond its current scope. There is noexplicable reason why Indians with domesticpassports should be denied the right of franchise either by postal means or by presence.This constitutional premise would, ipso facto,emphasis the sense of Indianness and reducethe political isolation that ground level NRIs arebound to feel when called upon to rally aroundbut not given the courtesy that should go with it.

By that very token the next imperative is toupgrade the concept of an NRI cell within certain central ministries and convert it into aproper and vibrant ministry with, at least, aminister of state commanding a council of representatives. For years there has been an unheeded call to elect or appoint through thePresident, two Members of Parliament who areNRIs. Since this cannot be done without franchise and there are some very real logisticsproblems to voting for individuals around theworld the appointment could be done from distinguished NRIs who are now back in India. Thatwould suf�ice until a system evolves for democratic elections.

Until the infrastructure is recognisable andvalid the budget promises are likely to stay notional. It is not so much the lifting of limitationsin percentage points that counts in these circumstances but the lack of con�idence in thepromises. The overall attitude must change.

Finally, an eighth factor does not load the NRIwith the baggage of emotional blackmail.

Chauvinism is not a professional element.If the mother country means business the

NRIs will do business.

Clear up the credibility of the NRI brigade by endingthe patronisation of scam artistes who pretend to

represent the community through patently uselessNRI seminars and symposia, many of which have the

stench of total corruption about them.

Send out teams of technocratic and business experts along with politicians and bureaucrats toNRI strongholds so they talk the same language

and establish a genuine and durable rapport.

Reduce the red tapism that still exists in getting things done.

Make charges of corruption at home a very serious matter.

Give NRIs real time frameworks for NOCs andclearances and stick by them, thereby realising

they do not have the time to cool their heels.

Eliminate middlemen and brokers whendealing with NRIs.

Offer long term business investments that pay dividends comparable to the international

markets.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

To do things effectively, the Indian government must clean up the ground clutter in a seven point programme.


NGI NEWS MAKERS

The Obama administration has announced toappoint a blind IndianAmerican to a key administrative post in anindependent US agencydevoted for peoplewith disabilities.SachinDev Pavithran has beenappointed as Member,Architectural andTransportation Barriers Compliance Board,the White House said,as it announced severalother key administration appointments."These dedicated individuals bring a wealthof experience and talent to their new rolesand I am proud to havethem serve in this Administration.

An Indian Americanprofessor of mechanical engineering and IITalumni has been appointed as the �irst director of digitallearning of the prestigious MassachusettsInstitute of Technology(MIT).In his new capacity,Sanjay Sarma, the FredFort Flowers andDaniel Fort FlowersProfessor of Mechanical Engineering, willwork closely with theInstitute's faculty, staffand students to assesshow new models of online instruction mightbecome integral partsof MIT students' oncampus education.A 1989 IIT alumni, hehas long worked to develop new instructionaltechniques for mechanical engineering students.

Indiaborn VishakhaDesai, a leading experton Asian art, has beenappointed by theObama administrationas member of the National Museum and Library Services Board, akey administrativepost. The name of theprominent IndianAmerican, who is alsopresident of global nonpro�it organisation AsiaSociety, �igured in thelist of appointments to10 key administrationposts.A graduate from Bombay University, Desaicompleted her MA andPhD from the University of Michigan andlater worked at the Museum of Fine Arts,Boston from 1977 to1990.

SACHIN DEV PAVITHRAN

SANJAY SARMA

VISHAKHA DESAI

IndianAmerican Rangaswamy Srinivasan, arenowned inventor atIBM, has been nominated by the US President Barack Obama forthe prestigious NationalMedal of Technology forInnovation.Along withSrinivasan, Obamanamed 12 eminent researchers as recipientsof the National Medal ofScience and 10 extraordinary inventors as recipients of the NationalMedal of Technology andInnovation, the highesthonors bestowed by theUnited States Government upon scientists,engineers, and inventors.The recipients willreceive their awards at aWhite House ceremonyin early 2013.

IndianAmericansTulsi Gabbard wouldbe sworn in as members of the US House ofRepresentatives, muchto the delight of thesmall but powerfulcommunity in thecountry.Born of immigrantsfrom Punjab, Iraq warveteran Tulsi Gabbardis the �irst Hindu everto win Congressionalelection. Gabbard, 31,from Hawaii's secondCongressional District,are re�lective of the diversity of the new Congress. Both are fromthe Democratic Party ofPresident BarackObama. Hindus represent less than one percent of the current USpopulation. Gabbard isexpected to take oathon the Gita, another�irst for the US Congress.

RANGASWAMY SRINIVASAN

TULSI GABBARD

Obama appointsblind Indian-Ameri-can to key post

Indian American,Sanjay Sarma appointed first director of MIT digital learning Indian-American

Vishakha Desai appointed to key administrative post

Obama names Indian-AmericanRangaswamy Srinivasan for prestigious award

Tulsi Gabbard in USHouse

Ummul Sabaprofiles

achievers fromthe NRI and PIO

community


NEWS 34

Manoj Mulwani takes a sneak peek into the NRIs’ engagement in various fields

NEWSBIN

N R ISIDDHARTH, PERSONAL CHOICE OF SALMAN

RUSHDIE IN DEEPA MEHTA’S FLICK

Author Salman Rushdie andTamilTeluguHindi actorSiddharth get along like ahouse on �ire. The unlikelyfriendship started duringthe casting of Deepa Mehta'sadaptation of Rushdie's'Midnight's Children' andnow continues although the�ilm is over.

For the role in DeepaMehta's Midnight's Children, Siddharth was the author Salman Rushdie'spersonal choice.

Siddharth expresses"Salman says my characterShiva is very special. He isan iconic character in thenovel. I always considered

Saleem Sinai one of thegreatest heroes in literature.And for a great hero oneneeds some kind of a foil. Iplay that foil. I don't havethe kind of space in thenovel or the script thatSaleem Sinai has. But I �indmy character very fascinating. For me to work withDeepa is a dreamcometrue. She's mother�igureand a best friend. I love herto bits. That lady is cathartic. And let's not kid ourselves, Midnight's Childrenis the 'Booker Of Bookers' .To be part of it is an honour.Nothing like that is beingdone in Indian cinema."

CANADIAN NRI BOB DHILLON KEEN TOENTER INDIAN REALTY SECTOR

Canadabased NRI billionaireBob Dhillon is consideringinvesting up to USD 100 million (about Rs 540 crore) inthe Indian real estate marketand is planning to approachthe Haryana government fordeveloping a township nearChandigarh.

Dhillon, the President andCEO of realty �irm MainstreetEquity Corp, is visiting Indiaas part of a large businessdelegation accompanyingCanadian Prime Minister

StephenHarper.

"I am lookingat Haryana,more speci�ically areas adjoiningChandigarh, fordevelopment ofa township. Iam in theprocess of discussion withthe state government."

Dhillon,whose familyhails fromTallewal villagein Barnala district of Punjab,

noted that the ageing population of Indian diaspora inCanada most of them are ofdescendants of Punjab islooking for a second home inIndia. The planned projectwould be near upcoming international airport.

On likely investment, hesaid: "Under the right circumstances, we would consider investing USD 25100million in India." He said theinvestment in India might bein his personal capacity.

NEWS 36


While admitting that solutions to only some of theirproblems have been arrivedat so far, he said there were issues galore which remain tobe addressed. The suggestions which come up wouldbe discussed with Prime Minister and at the Union Cabinet, he said.

In his keynote address,Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said providingthe NRIs with voting rightswas the biggest achievementfor those living abroad. Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed said effortswould be made for the skilldevelopment of unskilledworkers. Kerala governmentshould also take steps in

this regard.Kerala minister for Non

Resident Kerala Affairs, KCJoseph, said the governmenthas plans to permit NRIs exercise their voting rights inpanchayat and local bodypolls too. A bill in this regardwould be tabled soon, he said.

The theme of the session isto boost economic and socialengagement with the Diaspora in the Gulf region. Thefullday session is also expected to discuss signi�icantissues that impact NRIs suchas repatriation, labour mobility, partnership agreements inthe Gulf region and relief andrehabilitation of Indian nationals affected by recent uprisings.

PRESIDENT PRANAB MUKHERJEE WILLPRESENT THE PRAVASI BHARATIYA

SAMMAAN AWARDS ON WEDNESDAY

Bob Dhillon

A scene from Midnight’s Children

Four Indian Americans havebeen selected to the prestigiousMarshal Scholarship that willgive them an opportunity to pursue higher studies at top Britishuniversities.

Aditya Ashok from BostonCollege, Aditya Balasubramanian (Harvard University), ParasMinhas (University of Pitts

burgh) and Rahul Rekhi fromRice University have been chosen for the scholarship.

They are among the 40 Americans selected for this twoyearscholarship by the Marshal AidCommemoration Commission.

A history and biology graduate, Ashok recently served as anintern at Of�ice of National AIDS

Policy at the White House.He will study global health at

University of Glasgow.Balasubramanian, who

worked at the Abdul Latif JameelPoverty Action Lab in New Delhi,will study econometrics andmathematical economics at London School of Economics andPolitical Science.

An Amgen Scholar at MIT andResearch Fellow at Mayo Clinic,Minhas will study molecular cellbiology at the University CollegeLondon.

Rekhi, a Barry M Goldwaterand Harry S Truman Scholar,will study biomedical engineering at the University of Oxford.

US President Barack Obamaplans to give new thrust to acomprehensive immigrationreform in the country onethat would not only addressthe issue of illegal immigrants but also how to attractand retain highly skilledmanpower from countrieslike India.

At his maiden WhiteHouse press meet yesterdayfollowing his reelection,Obama said he is very con�ident that they can get immigration reform done.

Noting that there has beenbipartisan support to this ef

fort, Obama said there isneed to seize the moment.

"My expectation is, is thatwe get a bill introduced andwe begin the process inCongress very soon after myinauguration. In fact, someconversations I think are already beginning to take placeamong senators and congressmen and my staff aboutwhat would this look like," hesaid.

"When I say comprehensive immigration reform, it isvery similar to the outlines ofprevious efforts at comprehensive immigration reform.I think it should include acontinuation of the strongborder security measuresthat we've taken because wehave to secure our borders.

"I think it should containserious penalties for companies that are purposely hiring undocumented workersand taking advantage ofthem," Obama said.

Taking about DREAM Actthat would provide conditional permanent residencyto certain undocumentedminor immigrants, he said,"Obviously, making sure thatwe put into law what the �irststep that we've taken administratively dealing with theDREAM Act kids is very important as well.

"One thing that I'm veryclear about is that youngpeople who are brought herethrough no fault of their own,who have gone to schoolhere, pledged allegiance toour �lag, want to serve in ourmilitary, want to go to schooland contribute to our society,that they shouldn't be underthe cloud of deportation, thatwe should give them everyopportunity to earn their citizenship," Obama noted.

And there are other components to it, he said. "Thebusiness community continues to be concerned about

getting enough highskillworkers, and I am a believerthat if you've got a PhD inphysics or computer sciencewho wants to stay here andstart a business here, weshouldn't make it harder forhim to stay here; we shouldtry to encourage him to contribute to this society,"Obama said.

The agricultural sector obviously has very speci�ic concerns about making sure thatthey've got a workforce thathelps deliver food to tables.

"So there are going to be abunch of components to it,but I think whatever processwe have needs to make sureour border security is strong,needs to deal with employerseffectively, needs to provide apathway for the undocumented here, needs to dealwith the DREAM Act kids.

And I think that's something that we can get done,"Obama said.

US IMMIGRATION REFORM TO START EARLY NEXT YEAR, TO FOCUS ON MANPOWER FROM INDIA: BARACK OBAMA

NEWS 37


FOUR INDIAN AMERICANS NAMED MARSHALL SCHOLAR

Barack Obama

Aditya Balasubramanian Aditya Ashok Paras Minhas Rekhi Rahul

The Trilegal Banking and Finance Bulletin is a periodicupdate on recent developments in banking and financelaw and policy in India. Negotiable Instruments Act –criminal proceedings for dishonour of cheque In a recentjudgment in the case of MSR Leathers v. S. Palanipan[1]<#_ftn1> , the Supreme Court has discussed when aholder of a cheque may initiate criminal proceedings(under section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act,1885) against the drawer, if the cheque is dishonoureddue to insufficiency of funds. According to a previousjudgment of the Supreme Court[2] <#_ftn2> , the cause ofaction in such cases would arise only when the drawer ofthe cheque fails to make the payment within fifteen daysof the receipt of the notice from the holder that thecheque has been dishonoured. The holder of the chequecould then make a criminal complaint against the drawer,within a period of one month. If the holder did not initiate prosecution within one month of the cause of actionarising, there would be no fresh cause of action upon asubsequent dishonour of the cheque. This position hasbeen changed in MSR Leathers v. S. Palanipan where itwas held that the holder of the cheque does not have anobligation to initiate prosecution against the drawer.Every subsequent presentment of the cheque and dishonour would give rise to a fresh cause of action for theholder of the cheque. The decision to not initiate prosecution against the drawer of the cheque is often due tothe assurance of the drawer that given some time, thepayment covered by the cheque would be arranged. Solong as the cheque remains unpaid, it is the continuingobligation of the drawer of the cheque to arrange for thepayment.

Lower withholding tax for ECBs and Infrastructure BondsThe Finance Act, 2012 has introduced Section 194LC in

the Income Tax Act, 1961 which provides for a lowerwithholding tax rate of 5% on interest payable in respectof any loan under a ‘loan agreement’ or an ‘infrastructurebond’ which is approved by the Central Government forthis purpose. The Central Government has, under a circular dated 21 September, 2012, extended this concessionalrate to the following: n foreign currency loans that arecompliant with the ECB Regulations and which have aloan registration number issued by the RBI; and n longterm infrastructure bonds compliant with the ECB Regulations, and which have a loan registration number issuedby the RBI. The lower rate of withholding tax is availablefor monies borrowed or bonds issued from 1 July 2012 to30 June 2015. It was also clarified that the borrowingshould not be pursuant to the restructuring of an existingloan, if the sole aim of such restructuring is to avail thebenefit of the reduced withholding tax rate.

SIDBI as 'Eligible Borrower' for ECBs The Reserve Bankof India (RBI) by its notification dated 6 November, 2012,has included Small Industries Development Bank of India(SIDBI) as an eligible borrower for the purposes of availing foreign currency borrowings under the external commercial borrowings (ECB) policy. SIDBI is permitted toavail ECBs for onlending to the micro small and mediumenterprises sector (MSME Sector), as defined under theMicro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act,2006. The final enduse must be in accordance with thepermissible enduses provided under the ECB policy. TheRBI has also specified that ECBs up to 50% of SIDBI'sowned funds may be availed under the 'automatic route'.Borrowings beyond 50% of SIDBI's owned funds wouldbe under the 'approval route'. Both automatic route andapproval route borrowings will be subject to an overallcap of USD 500 million in a financial year.

BANKING AND FINANCE

By Sabbir Hussain


SOCIETY 40

Varnashram, Social Order and EvolutionIn this series, the author Kanchan Banerjee attempts to find the origin of casteism in India alongwith India’s original idea of varna classification. How the Indian social classes were ostracized dueto various reasons have been discussed. He also explores how the original varna system had an evolutionary plan as expressed by various Indian thinkers and in what ways many modern thinkers’work especially in the fields of developmental psychology are following a similar pattern to classifysocio-psycho evolution of people and societies

Modern sociologists are working on theidea that individuals and societies are atdifferent levels of psychosocio development. If the human society is to bringmore peace and harmony through moresustainable activities and better cooperation, they have to evolve beyondsheer selfgratifying creaturelike livingto more conscious, cooperative and creative living. One can point to the Indiansystem and easily say that the Indiansystem of Yoga and darshanas de�initelyhad something substantial to offer for amore complete sustainability modelevolved in the idea of Dharma, whichmeans ’that which holds together.’

A valid question can then be asked.Where is that Indian golden society inwhich there is no corruption, exploitation and violations of sustainable practices? The simple answer is that thesystem has been defunct after long period of subjugation, loss of knowledgeas well as lack of reforms and renovations.

In Vedic times, varna was not asrigid. Note that the Gayatri mantra isthe product of Vishvamitra, a Kshatriyaturned Brahmin. Even Ramanuja ordained many Brahmins from othercastes to carry on his teachings.

Let us now explore the spirit behindthe varnashram system.

In reply to the question of degeneration of the Indian society, keeping external causes in the background,Swami Vivekananda has asked to lookdeep inside one’s psyche: “The sociallaws of India have always been subjectto great periodic changes. At their inception, these laws were embodimentof a gigantic plan, which was to unfold

itself slowly through time. The greatseers of ancient India saw so far aheadof their time that the world has to waitcenturies yet to appreciate the fullscope of this wonderful plan, that is theone and only cause of degeneration ofIndia. The degeneration of India camenot because the laws and customs ofthe ancients were bad, but becausethey were not allowed to be carried totheir legitimate conclusions.”

What was that ‘gigantic plan’ andwhat would possibly be the ‘legitimate conclusions’?On a different occasion, Vivekananda,while indicating that the social aspect ofVarnashram needs to be reformed and isoverdue, said: …“ What is the plan? Theideal at the one end is the Brahmana andthe ideal at the other end is the chandala, and the whole work is to raise thechandala up to the Brahmana. Slowly

and slowly you will �ind more and moreprivileges granted to them. It is the dutyof the Brahmana, therefore, to work forthe salvation of the rest of mankind, inIndia. If he does that and so long as hedoes that, he is a Brahmana.” What theSwami means by salvation is upliftment.

Of course, this ‘Brahmana’ is the onewho has reached the highest peak of thehuman psyche evolutionary process, andthe ‘Chandala’ is the one who has notevolved as much. This is not based onbirth or just classi�ied by someone randomly.

Vivekananda said: “In the land ofBharata (India), every social rule is forthe protection of the weak. Such is ourideal of caste, as meant for raising all humanity slowly and gently towards therealization of the great ideal of spiritualman, who is nonresisting, calm, steady,worshipful, pure and meditative. In thatideal there is God.”


Zen-yoga-fleur

So the idea is to bring humanityfrom a lower level of consciousness toa higher level. Before we go any further, let us have a glimpse of the trendof work in the evolution of human consciousness and different levels of developments.

According to Clare Graves, a father�igure in developmental psychology, thepsychology of a mature human being isan unfolding, emergent, oscillating spiral process marked by progressive subordination of older, lower orderbehavior systems to newer, higherorder systems as an individual’s existential problems change. Gravespresented The Cyclical, Double helixmodel of the adult human biopsychosocial systems in Boston, May 1981using the term MEME as the basic stageof development.

Don Buck & Chris Cowman (1995)later developed a model (Spiral Development) to elaborate the ideas ofGraves.

We will revisit these concepts in details later, but for now let us go littledeep into the ideas of Varna.

Four great �igures (none of themwere born in a Brahmin family) in modern India had almost same opinion onVarna. Although Mahatma Gandhichanged his opinion on the caste andVarna systems throughout his life andtowards the end he was so preoccupiedwith removal of untouchability, caredless about the varna system as well. Butearlier he said: “I believe that caste has

saved Hinduism from disintegration.But like every other institution, it hassuffered from excrescences. I considerthe four divisions alone to be fundamental, natural and essential.”Dr. Ambedkar said: “I must admit thatthe [ancient] vedic theory of varna asinterpreted by Swami Dayanand andsome others is a sensible and an inoffensive thing;” Actually SwamiDayananda took a more liberal view ofcaste.

Swami Vivekananda said: “We believe in Indian caste as one of thegreatest social institutions that theLord gave to man. We also believe thatthrough the unavoidable defects, foreign persecutions, and above all, themonumental ignorance and pride ofmany Brahmanas who do not deservethe name, have thwarted in many ways,the legitimate fructification of this glorious Indian institution, it has alreadyworked wonders for the land ofBharata and it destined to lead Indianhumanity to its goal. … This system ofdivision into varnas is the steppingstone to civilization, making one risehigher and higher in proportion toone's learning and culture.”

Finally, Sri Aurobindo gave completeclarity on the matter: “There is no national life perfect or sound without the

cāturvarņya. The life of the nationmust contain within itself the life of theBrahmin – spirituality, knowledge,learning, high and pure ethical aspiration and endeavor; the life of the Kshatriya – manhood and strength moraland physical, the love of battle, thethirst for glory, the sense of honor,chivalry, selfdevotion, generosity,grandeur of soul; the life of .theVaishya, trade, industry, thrift, prosperity, benevolence, philanthropy; the lifeof the Shudra, honesty, simplicity,labour, religious and quiet service tothe nation even in the humblest position and the most insignificant kind ofwork.”

This is the essence of the varnashram system. It is hard to imagine asociety and nation survive withoutthese essentials. Buddhism tried toeliminate the varnashram, no matterwhat greatness Buddhism has as a religious order, the conscious removal ofespecially the kshatriya order madethe nation weak and prone to invasionsin later days. Even Mahatma Gandhidid not advocate abolition of militaryin India after independence.

But there is more to this than justthe utilitarian part of it, which is theevolution of humanity and will be discussed in the next part of this series.

Don Buck & Chris Cowman (1995)later developed a model (SpiralDevelopment) to elaborate theideas of Graves.8 Holistic7 Integrative 6 Sensitive Self5 Logic Science4 Mythical Order,

Morality3 Power Gods, Heroism2 Animist & Magical 1 Instinctual


SOCIETY 41

Genetics Society

SPIRITUALITY 42


21ST CENTURY

VEDIC RENAISSANCE

The civilization of India has always promoted spiritual knowledge ratherthan simply one religious belief ornother.According to most Indiabasedtraditions, particularly Vedanta, liberation or the highest goal of life, isachieved only through knowledge,which requires a good mind and intellect. It rests upon our own direct experience and perception of reality. Otherfactors like faith may be aids but bythemselves are not suf�icient to take usbeyond our ignorance. To achieve thishigher knowledge,various Indiabasedtraditions have promoted practical approaches to spiritual realization like themany paths of Yoga.

At the ancient core of India’s knowledgebased systems and continuing tothe present day are the Vedic sciences,including Ayurveda and Jyotish or VedicAstrology. These are rooted in the Vedictexts that form the source teachings ofHinduism or Sanatana Dharma. Theyhave also been adopted by other groupsin India and in nearby regions affectedby India’s great civilization. We shouldnote that the term Veda itself means

knowledge, perception or science, andre�lects a concern for deeper knowledge.

India’s spiritual traditions, primarilyits predominant Hindu or Vedic tradition, was largely in contraction, tryingto defend itself from centuries of foreigndomination that penalized and tried toinhibit Hindus from practicing their religion freely, and which included massive efforts to convert them. This keptVedic and Yogic teachings hidden, andfew outside of India knew about them.

This situation changed dramaticallyin 1893, when Swami Vivekananda �irstbrought the teachings of Yoga andVedanta to the West, and also helpedawaken them in India itself. From histime onwardsan increasing stream ofYogic and Vedic teachings has beenspreading throughout the globe, andalso arising more widely in India,through a variety of teachers, books,teachings and practices. This trend continues to grow and is larger today thanever. It has been augmented recently bythe many members of the Hindu diaspora who are taking such teachings to

their new countries of immigration andbuilding many beautiful temples, suchas can now be found in most of themajor cities of the world, like those ofthe Swaminarayan movement in UK,USA, Canada and Africa.

Important in this regard, during thelate twentieth century was the work ofMaharishi Mahesh Yogi and his TM orTranscendental Meditation movement.Maharishi took the ancient integralmodel of the Vedic sciences and beganpromoting not only Yoga and Vedanta,as was already common, but alsoAyurveda, Vedic astrology, Vastu Shastra, and the Vedas themselves. He emphasized the role of Vedic knowledgeand the Vedic sciences throughout theworld. This followed from a Vedic revival in India that was started by SwamiDayananda of the Arya Samaj in thenineteenth century and was continuedalong other lines by Sri Aurobindo andGanapati Muni, the chief disciple of Ramana Maharshi.

The Yoga Vedanta movement expanded and began to give attention tothe Vedic Sciences at a whole. Many

andTo achieve higher knowledge,various India-based traditions have promoted practical approaches to spiritual realization like the many paths of Yoga, says Dr David Frawley

SPIRITUALITY 43


Yogic groups have since taken up thisline, including those of various philosophical persuasions. This expansion ofthe Vedic sciences has become a phenomenon that transcends any particularguru and can be adapted to a variety ofpaths. Today most of the gurus in Indiahave also brought Ayurveda and otherVedic sciences into their teachings,practices and communities.

Yoga, particularly in its asana manifestation, remains the most visible faceof this Vedic renaissance, though not allasana practitioners are aware of theVedic connections to the origins behindwhat they do. Some may even resist seeing these, but the Vedic origins of Yogacannot be denied and are being statedmore often, more �irmly and with betterdocumentation.

In addition to the physical Yoga,many spiritual Yoga groups, in whichmeditation rather than asana plays thekey role, continue to �lourish with millions of followers in many countries. Wesee this in therespect for such gurus asRamana Maharshi, Sri Aurobindo, SaiBaba, Swami Sivananda, Ammachi, Ramakrishna, Yoganananda, AnandamayiMa, Neem Karoli Baba, Sri Sri RaviShankar, and many others, whose centers continue to grow throughout theworld. Such spiritual Yoga groups bringin ritual, devotion, mantra and meditation, or the greater tradition of RajaYoga. Even the asana movement in theWest is now taking up kirtan or Hindudevotional chants as one of their mainpractices.

Ayurvedic medicine only began toenter the global arena around thirtyyears ago, but now has a strong impactand global following. Ayurvedic treatment centers can be found in mostmajor cities and in many Yoga centersas well. Many people from the West nowtravel to India and Sri Lanka to receiveAyurvedic treatment, notably its spatreatments, including groups from Europe and North America. Ayurvedicherbs can be found in health and natural food stores in the United States.

Ayurvedic medical associations nowexist in many countries. There arestrong Ayurvedic centers in such diverse countries as Brazil or Russia, notjust English speaking lands.

Ayurveda in India has similarlygained a new recognition and value andhas now a greater prestige, no longerbeing regarded as primitive or unsophisticated in this era of natural healingas it was during the British era. This isperhaps most evident by the many newAyurvedic products that are �loodingthe Indian market.

Vedic astrology, and its related VastuShastra or directional science, have followed behind Yoga and Ayurveda butnow have their own impacts as well.Vedic astrology has been acceptedamong western astrologers as an important system of astrology in its ownright. The recent UAC or United Astrological Conference in New Orleans, thatfeatured the largest gathering of astrologers in the world on a four yearbasis, had a Vedic tract as well and wasopened by Sanskrit chanting.

Many new books have come out onVedic astrology both in India and theWest that make this arcane subject rational, scienti�ic and easy to understand,

starting with the work of Dr. B.V. Raman,who �irst brought Vedic astrology intoan English idiom many decades ago.Vedic astrology is quite suited to thespace age and the era of high energyphysics that shows how events on Earthcan be in�luenced by sbutle energiesfrom the cosmos.

In India, the new middle class hasembraced the same practices, takingclasses in Yoga and meditation or goingin for Ayurvedic treatments. Pilgrimageto Hindu sacred sites in India continuesto be very popular among the rich andpoor alike, and now including manywesterners as well. The upcomingKumbha Mela, expected to bring in perhaps �ifty million people, is a good example of this. In fact on any given daythere is more probably pilgrimage goingon in India than in all the rest of theworld put together, and at hundreds oflocations.

Knowledge has a great power in thisage of information technology. But suchspiritual knowledge, or knowledge ofthe higher Self, is much more than justinformation. It re�lects not merely thehuman mind but connects us to the cosmic mind as well. After this age of information we can hopefully look to ahigher age of consciousness. The Vedicsciences can help us bridge the gap andtake us to the higher awareness that isour true goal as human beings. Vedicknowledge is not simply a relic from thepast but a key to our highest potential,which is to unite human life with theuniverse as a whole, and the SupremeIntelligence behind it.

(Dr. David Frawley (Pandit VamadevaShastri) is a western born knowledge-holder in the vedic tradition. In India, Va-madeva is recognised not only as aVedacharya (Vedic teacher), but also as aVaidya (Ayurvedic doctor and teacher),Jyotishi (Vedic astrologer), Puranic(Vedic historian), a Hindu acharya(Hindu Religious teacher)and a RajaYogi. He has written several dozen bookson the related topics. www.vedanet.com)

David Frawley

GUJARAT: Towards Excellencein Public Health

P.K.Taneja, Principal Secretary, Public Health and Family Welfare, and Commissioner, Health, Department of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Gujarat, Gandhinagar

Gujarat, the growth engine of India, hasscaled unprecedented heights in economicand industrial development. Systemic reforms in the public healthcare deliverysystem through institutional strengtheningincluding putting drivers for improvementin hands of people coupled with strongemphasis on quality healthcare has madequality public healthcare truly equitable,accessible and affordable especially for thepoor and the marginalized.

Health Sector TodayThe declining critical health indicators inGujarat such as Crude Death Rate (CDR),Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), InfantMortality Rate (IMR)and Total FertilityRate (TFR) indicate that there is an overallimprovement in the health status of theState. The MMR has reduced from 202 perone hundred thousand live births as perSRS 19972003 to 148 as per SRS 200709.The IMR has reduced from 60 per onethousand live births as per SRS 2001 to 48as per SRS 2009. Crude Death Rate is a goldstandard for measuring health standard ofa state and lower CDR as compared to wellperforming states shows that Gujarat hasan excellent system of healthcare facilities,both public and private. The State is fullysensitized and committed to bring furtherimprovement in these indicators.

Accelerating the healthcare deliverysystemThe State is providing primary, secondaryand tertiary healthcare services throughreasonably good infrastructure of 7274SubCentres (SC), 1166 Primary HealthCentres (PHC), 318 Community HealthCenters (CHC), 24 District Hospitals, 16Medical college hospitals, 118 MobileHealth and Medical Units and specialty institutions with optimal demographicspread all over the state.Civil HospitalAhmedabad is being transformed into amedicity, the largest medical complex in

Asia with 5000 beds. Premier instituteslike Narayana Hruduyalaya, Fortis Healthcare and Artemis Group of Hospitals areplanning to expand in Gujarat. Apart fromallopathic system, the systems of Ayurvedaand Homeopathy have been also �lourishing traditionally since long in the State.

Interventions and initiatives such asChiranjeevi Yojana and BalSakha Yojanathrough public private participation modelare also operationalized to address certainconstraints in terms of availability of specialists and paramedics. A paradigm shiftin approach to medical education has enabled addition of 1105 medical seats, 1210nursing seats, 1096 physiotherapy seatsand 800 dental seats in last few years. TheGujarat Medical Education and ResearchSociety has already commissioned threenew medical colleges with 150 seats ineach and is poised to set up three more inthe coming year. State supported KidneyInstitute has become model for MedicalTourism with its world class facilityfor kidney and liver transplants.

Community participation forhealthcare action plans is achieved byformation of Village Health, Sanitationand Nutrition Committees, RogiKalyan Samitis (Autonomous patientwelfare societies) and involvement ofASHAs.

The total outlay for Health is increased from Rs. 16150 millions in theyear 200809 to present outlay of Rs.33470 millions registering an increase of 100 percent in last fouryears.

Towards “Health for All”The State has geared to provide comprehensive preventive and promotivehealth services through a life cycle approach. The integrated maternal andchild health services like antenatalcare, assured transport, institutionaldelivery, post natal care including

counseling for infant and young child feeding practices and expanded and assureduniversal immunization services are delivered through an army of 29,000 AccreditedSocial Health Activists (ASHAs), 12,000�ield health functionaries through schemeslike Mamta Abhiyan the Village Health andNutrition Day. The technology platform developed by Gujarat – EMamta, for trackingof pregnant mothers and children for assured services is now up scaled in entireNation as Mother and Child Tracking System. The Mamta Taruni Abhiyan addressesto the healthcare needs of the hitherto uncovered segment, i.e. adolescents.

Converged health programmes like National Vector Born Disease Control Programme, Revised National TB ControlProgramme, National Blindness ControlProgramme etc has led to successful control of communicable and crippling diseases such as TB, leprosy, blindness, etc.More than 10.5 million children are exam


DEVELOPMENT 44

ined and treated under 5day cycled SchoolHealth Programme. All treatment includingcancer, cardiac and kidney disorders aretreated free of cost irrespective of �inancialstatus of parents.National Program for Prevention & Controlof Cancer, Diabetes, CVD & Stroke and National Programme for Health care of Elderly in 12 districts in State and activitiessuch as screening, diagnosis and treatment, training and preventive public education including life style changes arestarted under it. Sickle Cell Anemia Control Project is initiated by the State. Underthis, more than 1500 thousand tribal population is screened for carrier state and thisdisease so as to prevent birth of affectedchildren. Both, Sickle Cell Anemia ControlProject and aforementioned ChiranjeeviYojana are conferred Prime Minister’sAwards for excellence in Public Administration.

Public Private Partnerships (PPP)The State has encouraged PPP models toaugment the service delivery spectrum.108 Emergency Ambulance Services runwith GVK EMRI has won the reputationand love of public for being exceedinglyprompt and reliable in their response. Theservice has heralded a new era of emergency medical care by revolutionizing theway by which the healthcare is rushed to

the people who are facing an emergency.503 well equipped ambulances are doingyeoman’s service to all the 60 million pluspopulation of Gujarat, responding to 2600calls a day, responding to 99% of calls ontoll free 108 telephone within three seconds and saving lives. This is at par withthe best global standards.

Seven PHCs and CHCs are run by Community Based Organizations with value addition to the services. Organizations suchas Centre for Health, Education, Trainingand Nutrition Awareness (CHETNA) andDeepak Foundation are working effectivelyin the �ield of Reproductive and ChildHealth.

Leveraging the use of IT The State has evolved a number of speci�icIT applications to have a catalytic effect onef�icient service delivery. Gujarat HospitalManagement Information System GHMIS,a total hospital & patient care managementsolution to provide better care to patientsthrough patient record system & IT basedhospital services, has reached out to 30public hospitals in Gujarat. BADEA System(Birth & Death Entry Application & Reporting System)has been developed tostore and monitor statistical data of Birth,Death and Still Birth. System is in use since2005. Demographic analysis and variousreports can be generated through this application. It is used to generate reports likeBirth Reports, Live Birth by Place of occurrences, Time Gape in registration of death,Deaths by age, occupation, sex, Still birthsby sex and type of medical attendance received at delivery and more. DLIMS (DrugLogistics Information and ManagementSystem), the online indenting and trackingsystem for all users of medicines in publicsector gives information to vendors, stockpositioning of medicines, quality parameters, etc. Prestigious independent evaluators have conferred various awards to thevarious IT systems of the State.104 Non emergency Health Help Line andTelemedicine are other interventions linedup for implementation. The State owned,statewide Gujarat State Wide Area Network provides a robust information highway along with State Govt. Policy forcompulsory IT knowledge for Govt servants taking care of the requisite softwareskills. Even auctions are now eauctions.

Commitment to Quality in Healthcare:Total Quality Management (TQM) Systemis introduced in key medical institutions.The system covers the state’s Medical College Hospitals, Medical College BloodBanks, Medical College Laboratories, Dental Colleges, Mental Hospitals, ParaplegiaHospital, District Hospitals, CommunityHealth Centres and Primary Health Centres to function as per the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and HealthcareProviders (NABH) and NABL standards. 19public health facilities are now accredited,a remarkable feat, unthinkable in past. Thisincludes 2 district hospitals, 2 mental hospitals, 2 medical college hospital laboratories, 5 blood banks, 6 PHCs and 2 Food andDrug laboratories.Mission is ‘To enhancethe patients’ quality of life by providingspecialized medical treatment and preventive healthcare at free / affordable cost’.

Concepts of protocols, statutory compliances, continuous quality improvement(Kaizen), safety standards, infection control practices, etc ensure that any contactwith healthcare delivery system lead to experience beyond expectations resulting inpatient’s delight.Rights respected and protected, patient satisfaction evaluated, painmanagement, safe transport and continuity of care are now given due importance inpublic health care.

Challenges AheadAchieving Millennium Development Goals– Reducing MMR to below 100, IMR below30, TFR below 2.1 in 2015 is our SwarnimSopan (Golden Goals). Addressing toskewed child sex ratio through effectiveimplementation of PC and PNDT Act to respect the right of girl child to be born, andaddressing to Malnutrition in a Missionmode in a time bound manner throughconvergence, integration, monitoring andevaluation of targeted interventions areour current areas of focused attention.Summarizing

The health sector of Gujarat ispoised for a quantum jump in improvement of its quality health services in coming decade to make them more equitable,accessible and affordable through a mix ofgood governance, speedy implementation,and IT leverage, melting away the barriersto change, to really make the Health Sectorof Gujarat shining through inclusive development.


DEVELOPMENT 45

DEVELOPMENT 46

Making of Solar GujaratGujarat: Convenient Actions for a CleannGreen GujaratAfter a year of wild weather and temperature extremes, we have learnt that climate change isn’t just a theory it’s areality affecting millions of people all overthe world. Climate change has increasedour vulnerability to extreme weather, andwe are seeing the consequences more frequently and in new locations around theworld. This year, we saw extraordinaryweather events one after another, fromtorrential rains in the USA‘s Midwest toextreme drought in the American South.In Texas, daily temperatures were a full�ive degrees above normal!

The story is much the same across therest of the world with the devastatingtsunami and the earthquake in Japan, the�loods and the reducing winter monthsacross India and many more similar unusual conditions.

As the world witnesses a growth in demand for clean energy, Gujarat recognizesgreen energy as one of its focus sectorsand has thus emerged as a leader ofIndia’s future renewable energy programme. All it needed was political support, and which is perfectly provided byGovernment of Gujarat with the announcement of the Solar Power Policy of2009, charting a pioneering and leadingrole once again after 1979 that set theball rolling for Renewable Energy Resources, and in 2009, with the announcement of the Solar Power Policy, a newchapter has been unveiled to ‘RenewableMap’ of the country.

Gujarat as a state has kept constantemphasis on mitigation initiatives, exploiting the clean energy and green energy potential, through the promotion ofwind and solar energy and a statewidegas grid. Gujarat is one state which hasfully covered the challenges into an opportunity and ranks �irst in earning maximum carbon credits. And setting up of aseparate Department of Climate Change –the 4th province in Asia emphasizes thepolitical will to GO GREEN!And in this continued effort to combatenvironmental degradation and promoting clean energy, the state has received in

vestments worth Rs 61289 crore from 66MoU signed at the VGGIS 2011 for settingup 7761 MW power generation projectsin the renewable energy sector.

The of�icial �igures of the projects ofSolar Power Projects in Gujarat are veryencouraging The government of Gujarathas ousted its own target! It has allotted968.5 MW of Solar Power capacities to 83national and international project developers against the 500 megawatt capacities declared earlier under the newlyannounced Solar Power Policy 2009 during the Phase I and Phase II of the SolarPower Policy implementation plan.

Gujarat Shining: 500 MW Solar Park�irst in Asia Gujarat has set the pace for RenewableEnergy Development in the country withthe foundation laid by Hon’ble Chief Minister Sh Narendra Modi for Asia’s �irstSolar Park that envisaged an investmentof Rs. 7500 crore. The Solar Park is established on 2,000 ha of arid land in VillageCharanka, Taluka, Santalpur, of Patan District, bordering Pakistan. Plots have beenallocated to 21 Private investors to generate to 250 MW solar power.The cost of the project is envisaged to be approximately Rs1,287 crore. These companieswill commission their powergenerating units within thenext three months duration.The state government plans toset up solar power manufacturing, assembling, researchand development facilities inaddition to a manpower training institute envisaged to trainlocal people and create job opportunitiesfor them.

The Solar Power Park, �irst in Asia,has conceived as a concentrated zone forsolar power development and manufacturing facilities where solar power wouldbe produced on a large scale at optimumcost. The solar park is intended to be developed in two phases, Phase 1, comprising 590 MW and Phase 2, having 500 MWsolar power generating projects with R &D and manufacturing facilities.

Gujarat Shining: Over 111 MW girdconnected Solar Power commissioned In a signi�icant and a bold move, the Government of Gujarat has reiterated itscommitment towards development of therenewable energy sector and climatechange mitigation. As stated earlier, heannouncement of the historic SolarPower Generation Policy announced in2009 saw the signing of 968.5 MW PPAsby 83 national and international developers.

These projects are envisaged to fetch amammoth investment of over Rs. 8000crore annually generating 850 millionunits of Green Energy. In environmentalterms these projects will annually reducethe CO 2 emission levels 8 lakh tonnes byavoiding use of 5.5 lakh tonne of coal. Inaddition these projects are envisaged togenerate employment to over 3000 people.

The sun is shining bright in Gujaratwith 135.40 MW Solar Power Projects already commissioned in the state.

Capacities for Solar Power Projectscommissioned In Gujarat

It is expected that by March Generating2012 a total of 500 megawatts of Solarbased Power Projects will be operational

Gujarat: Wind Energy, the Big PlayerOn the wind energy front the state hasalso embarked upon an ambitious plan totap the large wind power potential. In2009, the Government of Gujarat announced an amendment in the Wind Energy Policy to tap the 10,000 MWe of theWind Power potential along the coastal


Name of Company Capacity (MW)M/s. Azure Power (Hariyana) Pvt ltd 10.213M/s. Azure Power (Gujarat) Pvt. Ltd 5.000

M/s Lanco Infratech Ltd 5.001M/s Lanco Infratech Ltd 15.013

M/s Precious Energy Services Pvt Ltd 15.199M/s Solitaire Energies Pvt Ltd 15.010

M/s Welspun Urja Gujarat Pvt Limited 15.012M/s Green Infra Solar Energy Limited 10.002

M/s. Gujarat Power Corporation Ltd (PDPU) 1.0123M/s. Adani Enterprises Ltd 40.00

M/s ESP Urja 5.00135.40

DEVELOPMENT 47

areas – Saurashtra and Kachchh. Today,this policy has undergone major revisionsto attract lot of investors in the �ield.

In November 2008 Gujarat notchedthe �irst prize and won the Best Wind Developer State Award for maximum capacity additions in wind power generationfor achieving the maximum capacity installations during the two �iscals 200607 and 200708 along the cost ofSaurashtra.

Today, Gujarat has already installed2466 MWe of Wind Power Projects whichis already catering to 7.6 % of the annualenergy consumption of the State at an investment of Rs. 9500 crore. These Projects annually generate 3800 million unitsof electricity, saving 2.60 MT coal and reducing the carbon emissions levels by3.80 million tonnes.

Gujarat: Sustainable Initiatives : SomeHighlightsGandhinagar: The Model Solar CityProject• Government of India declared Gandhinagr as a Model Solar City Project.• A blueprint for a sustainable City of thefuture• Gandhinagar Setting example for SolarCities throughout India and other nations• Gandhinagar Leading candidate to provide an example of excellence & globalbest practices and deployment of sustainable energy technologies viz. phasing outof Incandescent Bulbs (GLS) and Ordinary Tubular Fluorescent Lamps (TFL);installation of Solar Street Lighting andStand Alone Systems in Institutes andSolar PV on Rooftops, Solar /LEDbasedTraf�ic Signals on main roads. • Solar Project models to integrate SolarWater heating systems in residential andcommercial sectors.• A1 MW Solargird integrated PowerPlant commissioned at PDPU (PanditDeen Dayal Petroleum University), Gandhinagar.• 10 KW capacity WindSolar Hybrid System commissioned at Udyog Bhavan,Gandhinagar • Nineteen 10 KW capacities Solar RoofTop Systems commissioned at Government Buildings in Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar.• Six 5 KW capacity Solar hybrid Systemson Government Buildings

• Demonstration of SmartGrid technology • International Finance Corporation hiredto provide Public Private Partnership andto design a 5 MW Solar Roof Top Powerproject for Gandhinagar, to reduce GHGemissions by 6000 tonnes.

Wind Energy • Gujarat Highest Wind Potential State inthe country• Installed Capacity : 2266 MW• Investment : Rs. 13,000 crore

BioEnergy Power Generation • Two 10 MW capacity Biomass Projectscommissioned in Amreli and Junagadh.

Energy Conservation• Energy audit in the government, domestic, commercial and industrial sectors.• Popularization of energy ef�icient devices.• Upgrading energy ef�iciency levels inthe industrial sector.• Walkthrough Energy Audit (WTEA)Mapping Energy use in the small scalesector.• Investmentgrade Energy Audit (IGEA)– Demonstration Project in 11 selectedBuildings.• First state to implement Energy ef�iciency in Agricultural Pumping Sector• 60 MW load reduction through 11,000energy ef�icient pumping sets.

Energy: Information, Education andCommunication Interventions• Education – based awareness by building the capacity of industrial Training Institute’s students across the statethrough customized energy educationmodules• School Energy EducationInterventionProgramme: Annually mobilizing a force

of 50,000 of Secondary School Studentsand 3600 School Teachers o make wiseenergy choices through Energy Conservation through the state wide Bal Urja Rakshak Dal Programme since 20042011. • In an initiative to spread digital literacyas well and to strengthen the InformationCommunication and Training ICT Module, BURDies have gone high tech. An Online Teachers Training through theGUJSAT – the Online Connectivity Network in the state in 201011. • In 201011 in an initiative to reach outto school directly an Interactive Session Urja Goshthi has been organized in all theBURD Schools. The programme provideda brief of the BURD implementationguidelines and Street Play as a communication tool to teach the concept energyand environment enacted to Urja Rakshaks and Urja Agevans in cluster of 56Schools across the state. In 201112, Theprogramme is being enhanced to reach toSchools directly with the teachingcumtraining module through Energy Communicators.• An Energy Knowledge Portal speciallydesigned to spread knowledge and to upload children’s work on the digital platform and to generate secondary data.• BURDies will work on How to makeyour school green? Children will surveytheir school resources and complete theOnline Audit Datasheets specially designed worksheets. The resultant outcome will be lead to developing a blueprint for Building a New School and renovating an Old School in terms of installingactive, passive and along with the LearningcumTeaching Modules and soft edutainment activities for saving energy andultimately the environment. • The Online Portal and Online Intervention have helped GEDA to promote theuse of Computers and enrolment.


Solar PV power Plant at Udyog Bhavan under Solar C

SOCIETY 48


Shruti is disturbed. While staying inKuwait for eight years, she has tried herbest to teach all the right values to bothher sons. And yet, they are so moody.They have not learnt to greet visitorscheerfully or even have a small conversation.They remain smug and sullen, althoughboth parents try to do their best forthem.

Shaheen from Muscat is concernedabout her seven-year-old daughter’s obsession with video games, mobile andI-pad. She does not like to play with otherIndian children in their air-conditionedbuilding’s enclosed play area.

Varun has been working in Dubai for12 years now. Seven years ago, he marriedNamita and brought her to Dubai. However,she could not �ind a suitable

placement for herself. As a result, she remains a homemaker till date. Their�ive- year-old son Ankit is their adorableangel. Since they decided that they couldnot afford raising another kid, Ankit maynot have a sibling. They want to give ‘thebest’ to their only son. They often worrythough, since Ankit gets agitated overtrivial matters and remains generallydiscontented.

Someone once said, and very rightlyso: ‘There is no way to be a perfect parentand a million ways, though, to be a goodone’.

You might wonder as to what is sospecial about being parents and aboutparenting in the MiddleEast? Well, raisinga family as an expat (living outsideIndia) is in itself a challenge for Indian

parents. There is this constant tugofwar between what to embrace inthe new conditions and what not to. Theexternal variables are pretty much outof control, especially as far as parentingis concerned. There aren’t too manychoices regarding schools, teachers,friends, trends and values in the society,all of which have a strong impact onour children.

Life in the MiddleEast has its peculiar characteristics, and so doesparenting.

We all have our own reasons to behere in the Gulf. And the kids havebeen roped in, by default.

For all of us who live here with families, the picture appears to bequite enviable. Both partners are probably earning; we have Indian

schools here; good tuition teachers arereadily available; parents have weekendsat their disposal to be with their children; there are Indian eateries andIndian festivals are celebrated with almost equal gusto, as we do backhome. The overall package of circumstances in which our children aregrowing up seems perfect.

Yet, there is always something toworry or think about. There is no place,no culture, no society wherein parentingposes no questions or worries. Whatelse do our kids need? Are there thingsbeyond an airconditioned house, anSUV, and weekend barbecues? Well, ofcourse, some of us have made it a pointto teach all religious rituals, customs,and traditions to our children. We alsohave numerous regional, religious andlinguistic associations and organizationswhich organize a host of cultural programs

If you are a parent in the Middle-East, you cannot overlook certain child-related issues that might have significant relevance in the long run. Dr Navniit Gandhi writes

on these concerns and the ways to deal with them

CHILD DESERVESATTENTIONYOUR

for all of us to stay connected with ourcountry better.

But there is surely no harm in doing aperiodic reality check. While some of uszealously check the conversion rate ofdinars and dirhams into rupees everysingle day, how many of us thoughtfullysit down and check periodically if ourchildren are any better or any worsethan what they were perhaps sixmonths ago? We are fortunate that wehave good schools here and surely, awonderful fraternity of teachers. Yet, noone can ever be as �ine a monitor as aparent can be. The questions you canask yourself and your child, no one elsewill bother to ask.To begin with, ask a few questions toyourself and incorporate the answers inyour parenting styles.

In your childhood and teenage, did youalways get everything that you everthrew a tantrum for?

Probably, your answer is ‘No’.

Were you scolded and told to mend yourways by people other than your parents: thatis, by your uncles, aunts, neighbors,cousins, grandparents, etc?

Probably, your answer is ‘Yes’.

Were you always around and listeningwhen grown-ups had their gossip andsmall talk?


Did you ever travel by public transport? Didyou make friends while travelling in localtrains or buses?

Probably, your answer is ‘Yes’.

Were your usual demands for ice-creams, juices, dinners in fast-foodcourts, hi-tech toys, a car, a comfortableprivate room and so many other thingsinvariably met?


If it is so, then those are probably thevery reasons why you are what you are

today. Who we are today is the outcomeof varied experiences. Most of us wereblessed to have a joyous and simplechildhood; we had fun playing thewackiest of games in our childhood; wewere deprived of many things that wedesired; we were scolded by an army ofpeople other than our parents; welearnt lessons of camaraderie andfriendship in local trains and buses; wehad meals at the neighbors’ without anynotice or invitation; we could neverhear a word when elders gossiped; wedid not have cars and gadgets or if wedid, the usage was restricted.

There were squabbles and �ights toowith neighbors and friends, but aren’twe what we are because so many peopletaught us some precious lessons andhence, our memories of them linger on?Did the awe and respect for our teachersnot make us humble? Did we brazenlychew gum and secretly text messageswhile the teacher was trying to impartknowledge? Most importantly, we didnot have the con�idence that our parentswill provide us with whatever we askfor, no matter what. Education in the USor in the UK was not a foretold conclusion.There was always that uncertainty, a little fear, a little hesitation. This is notto say that all that happened in our liveswas good and all that which is happeningwith our kids today is bad. It is just thatwe should not forget that it takes allkinds of experiences to make a �inehuman being.

There is no harm in periodicallychecking whether our kids are turningout to be �ine, sensitive and wellmeaninghuman beings. We are always concernedabout their physical health. It would beeven better if their overall health andmakeup is silently monitored and reviewed by us. Let us check:

Though our kids highly appreciate andseek money, do they fully comprehend thevalue of money?

Do they understand and respect thehard work you are putting in?

Do they have a realistic assessment ofself?

Are their social skills and sensitivitiesas well developed as their computing ande-networking skills?

How much do they know about theircountry and the world they belong to?

While it is nice that they exhibit signsof being independent at an early age, letus just monitor once in a while if theyhave learned the lessons of interdependence too. While it is nicethat they have the latest technology attheir disposal, just check once in a whileif they know suf�iciently about the art,culture, people, conditions and currentissues of our country. Being silent whilebeing on an alert for all of the above andmany other qualities will help us takeremedial action whenever necessary.

Living here in the MiddleEast, howmany of us have the inclination to takeour children to museums, voluntary

While it is nice that theyexhibit signs

of being independent atan early age, let

us just monitor once in awhile if they have learned

the lessons of interdependence too.

While it is nice that theyhave the latest

technology at their disposal, just check once in

a while if they know sufficiently about the art,

culture, people, conditionsand current issues of our

country. Being silent whilebeing on an alert for all ofthe above and many otherqualities will help us takeremedial action whenever

necessary.

SOCIETY 49


institutions, libraries etc? There isenough free time as we have weekendsoff, and travelling to and from workdoes not take hours. And yet, what isthat picture that a child visualizes as aweekend comes closer? Another dinner?Another party? It is most disturbingthat kids here are most often found listening when adults talk about theconvertible value of dinars and dirhams.They are either found glumly sitting likecouch potatoes or worse still, sent to theadjacent rooms to watch TV or playgames or independently be absorbed intheir Ipads.

You may argue that why burden ourkids with the problems in our country’spolitical scene and why give them thestress of hundreds of critical issues thatthe country is facing. However, ignoranceis not always bliss, and while we may

make plans for settling our childrenabroad, there is no telling where life willtake them and place them eventually.One can’t relax and assume that our kidswill never need to have an awareness ofthe grim realities of our country. Theywill be living in this world for long afterwe are gone. If they know about the issues now, they will have time to workon solutions.

It is strange, isn’t it, that most of uswant to shield our children from allhardships; want to protect them�iercely; keep them away from unpleasantrealities; ful�ill their wants to the best ofour abilities, and then we sigh and wonder: why are they so different? Whydo they not understand? We surely respected and understood our parentsbetter? Why have they become so selfcentered?

Dear Parents,You have the crucial seeds of the futureof mankind, staying right there in yourhomes. We have handed them a worldfull of imperfections; ugly realities; violence, uncertainties; selfcenteredness;and silly nuances. Let us, at least, keepchecking if they are understandingthemselves better; if they are graspingthe realities well; and acquiring the abilities to live in such a world. Surely,we do not want our children to dither orremain confused and scared as theygrow up. If they ever have to live inshortages; crumbling economies; tossingand turning weather patterns, and practice austerities, will they be able todo so? Are they prepared?

Keep monitoring silently...

Twins Show in Dubai

It is strange, isn’t it, that most of us want to shield our children from all hardships; want toprotect them fiercely; keep them away from unpleasant realities; fulfill their wants to the

best of our abilities.

SOCIETY 50


EVENT 52

AN EVENING TORECONNECT

AND RECOGNISE

GLOBAL INDIANS

The third edition of the NGI Excellence Awards organised by the NGI Foundation in Kochi at the DreamHotel honoured nine people of Indian origin for theircontribution and achievements across various industries – business, communication, �inance, entrepreneurship and social responsibility. Awardees hadconverged in Kochi ahead of the Pravasi BharatiyaDiwas from across the globe – from the United Statesof America, South Africa, the United Kingdom and theMiddle East. Each had a unique story of beating theodds and emerging victorious to share and the NGIplatform proved to be an ideal one where they connected, interacted and enlightened and inspired theaudience with their experiences and achievements.Equally distinguished were the Chief Guests for theevening – former Additional Secretary of Tamil Naduand GOPIO Kochi Chapter President, PC Cyriac andformer Minister of Tourism and Energy of Mauritius,Mahen Utchanah. Sharing the stage for the traditionallighting of the lamp with the chief guests were NGIManaging Editor Ujjwal K Chowdhury, the editor ofDhanam, Kerala’s own business magazine, KurienMagazine and the Sales Chief of Malayala Manorama,Anand Mathew. That Kochi, fondly referred to as God’s


When a businessman from South Africa and an eminent journalist from Bahrain met with a stand-up comedian and a business leader from the US inKochi, they had one thing in common – the pride ofbeing Indian and retaining the true essence oftheir culture and shared heritage even as theylived as citizens of another country. A report byDeepthy Menon

EVENT 53

Own Country was to play host to theeleventh annual Pravasi Bharatiya Diwasbetween 79 January 2013 added to thethe mood and the tone for the eveningdedicated to honouring the achievements of Indians globally.

The �irst winner of the evening wasthe South African businessman IshwaarRamlutchman, whose humble demeanour and earnest words won quite afew hearts. His zeal to improve the lot ofdisadvantaged communities by improving water and sanitation services inrural areas won him the NGI ExcellenceAward for Community Leadership. Ramlutchman has worked with the tallestleaders and bureaucrats of South Africaand has been one of the young leaders ofthe Indian Diaspora keen to promoteIndoSA relations. While dedicating hisaward to his guru, Ramlutchman reiterated his commitment to carrying forward his charitable work across SouthAfrica and taking the message of peaceand harmony between all communities.

The Award for Community Outreachand Women Empowerment went to theChairperson of the Women’s Council ofGOPIO International, Suman Kapoor,who proudly displayed the award callingit the �irst ever in her distinguished career. Incidentally, the memento presented to Ms.Kapoor and the rest of theawardees was specially designed by theBangalorebased Mithilasmita Arts incorporating the ancient artform of Mad

hubani painting into the commemoration plaque along with the certi�icate ofexcellence. Another woman achiever felicitated for her contribution to promoting IndoUS business ties wasentrepreneur Purnima Voria, thefounder and CEO of the National USIndia Chamber of Commerce. Ms.Voriahas been instrumental in securing business deals worth millions for Indiancompanies and US based industries andcreate an environment of trust, which isessential for forging and maintainingbusiness relations. Her guest at theaward function, US politician and formerUS Ambassador to Bahrain, Sam Zekhemproved to be an enthusiastic speaker, regaling the audience with his insights onthe enterprising nature of Indian Diaspora. Though his presence at the function was a surprise appearance, thewarm bonds that he shared with two ofthe awardees, Ms.Purnima Voria andSoman Baby, the Managing editor of theDaily Tribune proved to be a heartwarming reunion.

Mr.Soman Baby, a journalist held inhigh esteem not just by the NonResident Indians of Bahrain but also theBahraini Royal Family once again reiterated the role that the Indian Diasporacan play in helping other Indians, awayfrom their homeland. His sterling workin journalism has made Mr.Baby atrusted advisor to the Bahraini government in matters relating to migrant

workers especially from India. TheChairman of the Pravasi Bandhu WelfareTrust in the Gulf, KV Shamsudheen wasthe other Indian based in the Gulf to beawarded the NGI Excellence Award forIndian Diaspora Leadership. In his acceptance speech, Shamsudheen spokeabout the need for �inancial planningamong NRIs and their families to assurea secured future in these troubled economic times.

Another winner of the evening,Mr.Manoj Soma, the CEO of Choice International delivered a touching speechabout turning his disability and disadvantages into his strengths while struggling to carve a career for himself in theUK and championing the cause forequality for the differently abled at thework place. And bringing the evening toa witty end was the standup comedianfrom LA of the ‘Make Chai Not War’fame, Rajiv Satyal, who was awarded forexcellence in Communication Leadership. In a twenty minute long stand upact at the end of the evening, Rajiv hadthe audience in splits, proving yet againthat messages can be effectively conveyed through laughter and jokes too!

The NGI Awards for Excellence endedon a happy note, with the winners posing for a memorable photograph – onefor the albums. The winners sharing theplatform were a wonderful mix of theyoung and the experienced – all proudachievers and global Indians!


All the award winners with eminent guests All the award winners with eminent guests

GUJARAT 54


Gujarat’s Tribute to SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Narendra Modi’s Human Resource-centric initiatives could help to shape the road-map ahead forIndia, notes Anirban Banerjee with all praises for the Gujarat government policies

On 12th Jan, 2012, India celebrated the150th birth anniversary of SwamiVivekananda. Swami Vivekanand wandered throughout the country from July1890 to May 1893, when he went toAmerica. The maximum and the mostimportant duration of this period wasspent in Gujarat. From November 1891when he entered Ahmedabad, to 26thApril 1892 when he left Baroda forBombay, he wandered throughout Gujarat, especially in Kathiawar.Vivekanand spent most of the later period of May to September 1892 with Gujarati hosts like Thakore Saheb of

Limbdi at Mahabaleswar and Poona andwith Ramdas Chhabildas at Bombay.The magni�icent temple of Somnath inGujarat, which was destroyed and rebuilt several times, that Vivekanandcame across the glory of India's past.Swami Vivekanand was inspired to go tothe West to preach Sanatana Dharma Itwas during his stay in Gujarat that,Swamiji, for the �irst time, came to knowabout the great religious conventionthat was to be held sometime in the following year. Also during his stay in Gujarat that he Studied the Vedas withShankar Pandurang Pandit and began to

appreciate the glory of SanatanaDharma and the need to preach it to thewhole world and became convincedthat "India was truly the Master of Religions, the fountainhead of spirituallyand the cradle of civilization." He developed a spiritual bond with Gujarat during Vivekanand came in contact withsome of the most prominent princes, Diwans, scholars and eminent personalities of his time. All of them becamegreat friends & fans of SwamiVivekanand and some of them even became his disciples.

While travelling through the Great

GUJARAT 55


Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, Vivekanandhad a wonderful experience of seeingmirage. In his lecture delivered in NewYork entitled 'The Real and the Apparent Man', Swami Vivekanand describedthe phenomenon and drew a very important moral from it. Thus this was animportant and interesting period of hisspiritual life. This is the year when wecollectively resolve to meet the currentchallenges and lead India to newheights and propel itself to its rightfulplace in the world economy. Gujaratushered his yearlong birth anniversaryin a grand way. To further commemorate Swamiji, the Gujarat governmenthas decided to mark the year 2012 as‘Swami Vivekananda Youth year’. This isan endeavor to encourage the youth ofthe state and the country to re�lect onSwamiji’s motivating messages.

Gujarat has realized that it is timethat India harnesses its demographicdividend a rising middle class and ahuge young population. India is yet toformulate a Human Resource Strategy.We need to nurture our human assets toenhance India’s competitiveness in theglobal arena. Gujarat is the only state ofIndia which has realized the signi�icance of workforces with the skills andpro�iciencies to meet sector requirements. India’s young workforce is estimated to increase by 240 million overthe next two decades, and by 2035 Indiawill have the largest working population in the world. Gujarat’s experiencein taking youthcentric initiatives couldhelp shape the roadmap ahead for India.It is true that India is yet to tap thesporting potential abundant in its youthand as a result of this, today we are lagging behind in the scoreboard of international sports. Gujarat has come upmany sports and �itness enhancing initiative’s to encourage �itness among ouryouth.

Gujarat has launched icreate, an initiative focusing on intensive domainbased exposure for knowledge andvarious skill sets required to produceyoung entrepreneurs and Management.In this competitive age, it is imperativeto inculcate the habit of readingamongst the youth. Gujarat haslaunched initiative to shed off igno

rance, broaden the outlook of young inquisitive minds and sensitise them totheir surroundings .With a view ofstrengthening manpower in the state,Gujarat has set over 300 ITIs (IndustrialTraining Institutes), wherein more than1.25 lakh students are trained accordingto the needs of the industry in order toproduce a professionally skilled workforce. To make the Gujarati studentsready to face the challenges of an increasingly globalised world, a conceptcalled ‘SCOPE’ has been introduced withthe cooperation of Cambridge University to build pro�iciency in English language. Swamiji once said, “Education isthe manifestation of the perfection already in man” Gujarat has been strivinghard to lift the standards of higher education in the state. In the past onedecade, serious efforts in helping theyouth to access the portal of higher education have been made. In 2001, thestate had only 11 universities; whereastoday, there are 41. The state government opened many new universities fortraining the young. Specialized universities which meet international standardshave been set up, like the PetroleumUniversity, Sports University, RakshaShakti University and Forensic ScienceUniversity. About 52 new colleges havebeen set up taking the needs of theyouth for education taking into consideration.

Our nation is a candle of a 10,000years old civilization – a great civilization and has withstood all ups anddown. It has seen invaders and plunderswho could take life but could not takeour sole it’s our common History andvalues that kept us uni�ied and our spiritual oneness has throated any attemptto divide India. It’s this union of soleand strength of our men that has savedour country. As Swamiji has said ouryoung men must be strong. “Be strong,my young friends” He believed our menmust be strong and have knowledge ofour sacred scripture”. National Leaderslike Savarkar , Nataji Shubhas ChandraBose and Sardar Patel who were greatproponents of pride in our culturalidentity emphasized an educationrooted in our Ancient civilization andIndian values.

I like my father am strong proponentof introduction of basic military training; as this will develop leadership skillsamong our young men and help them tobe disciplined. Our education systemalso needs drastic changes we need toacknowledge that the poor quality ofteachers and appalling infrastructure inmost of the Indian states needs to addressed. We also need to eliminate theattempt by some states to use thestate’s education for furthering theirlinguistic, regional, cast or religious appeasement based politics .We need tointroduce new technology based learning along with a changed curriculumthat give importance analytical skills,ability to innovate , develop broadbased talent and most important educating our youth about our History andCulture so that they are more con�identabout their identity and take pride intheir forefathers achievements and belongingness to the country. We must encourage a education system based onthe Swamiji vision and our other greatleaders. The key to success of India iswhat our young men are able to achieveNo Nation without knowledge and prideof its past can make a difference to itsfuture. Gujarat has showed us the wayforward for India.

(The author is Human Resource Expertand writer of Leadership Excellence.He can be reached [email protected])

State Bank of Bikaner andJaipur completes 50 yearsSBBJ celebrates golden jubilee year with bell ceremony at NSE, reports Archana

State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur (SBBJ),an associate of the State of India, ispleased to announce that it has completed its 50 years of operations.The momentous occasion was celebrated with an opening bell ceremony at the National Stock Exchange in the presence of the management of SBBJ and the NationalStock Exchange.

The golden jubilee is indeed a hugemilestone for the bank considering ithas come a long way since its formationon January 1, 1963. When the bankcommenced its operations in 1963 ithad 124 branches with a business of Rs

45 crore. Today 50 years later the bankhas 1,000 branches and has built a massive business of Rs 20 lakh crore.

Speaking on the occasion ShivaKumar Managing Director, SBBJ said, “Itan honour to be a part of this importantmilestone that the bank has achievedand I am truly humbled by the effortseach and every employee of SBBJ hasput in over the years to build this bankto the size of what it is today. He furtheradded, “This milestone has only givenus more inspiration to take this bank tonew heights and we all vow that we willraise our bar even further to make thenext 50 years even more memorable one.”

Commenting on the occasion Ms Chitra Ramkrishna, Joint ManagingDirector, National Stock Exchange said,“It is indeed a major milestone for SBBJand we are deeply honoured that theychose to celebrate the same at the National Stock Exchange with the opening bell ceremony. We wish SBBJ allthe best and we know there are manymore such milestones they will achievein years to come.”

The Bank which recently opened its1000th branch is shifting its core focusto retail portfolio and is coming outwith new initiatives to furtherstrengthen its portfolio further.


ARUNACHAL PRADESHSheer Tourist DelightThe State can grow as one of themost cherished tourists hubs ofIndia, elucidates Bikash Sarmah

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Arunachal Pradesh is a State in India’snortheastern hinterland that is yet to beexplored as a tourist destination of aunique kind despite its enormous potential to evolve and sustain as a touristhub for visitors both from the rest of thecountry and the world at large.

A Bit of HistoryThe region was mentioned in the Hindutexts Kalika Purana and the Mahabharata. It was where sage Parashuramwashed away his sins, where the sageVyasa meditated, where King Bhismakafounded his kingdom, and where LordKrishna married his consort Rukmini(according to information available onwebsites).

An outsideperspective recorded history only became available in the Ahomchronicles of the 16th century. Thenorthwestern parts of this area cameunder the control of the Monpa kingdom of the Monyuls that �lourished between 500 BC and 600 AD. This regionthen came under the loose grip of Tibetand Bhutan, especially in the northernareas. The remaining parts of the State,especially those bordering Myanmar,came under the control of the Ahoms orthe Assamese until the annexation ofIndia by the British in 1858. However,most Arunachali tribes remained largelyautonomous.

Recent excavations of the ruins ofHindu temples such as the 14thcenturyMalinithan at the foot of the Siang hillsin West Siang district are, in one way orthe other, automatically associated withthe ancient history of ArunachalPradesh. Another signi�icant heritagesite, Bhismaknagar, has led to theoriesthat the Idus (Mishmis) had an advanced culture and administration inprehistorical times. The third heritagesite, the 400yearold TawangMonastery in the extreme northwest ofthe State, provides some historical evidence of the Buddhist tribal people. Thesixth Dalai Lama,Tsangyang Gyatso, wasborn in Tawang.

This means that apart from exploring

the sheer beauty of Arunachal Pradesh,one can also visit the State as part of ahistory and culture tourism package —to comprehend and appreciate its ancient history, how its diverse tribes haveevolved, how they have been able topreserve their pristine cultures and traditions, how they are now trying towork out a blend of modernity and tradition, and what they think of their history visàvis their integration with therest of India.

What Tourists Should KnowTourists visiting Arunachal Pradeshwould do well to know that much of theState is covered by the Himalayas, whileparts of Lohit, Tirap and Changlang districts are covered by the Patkai hills.Kangto, Nyegi Kangsang, the mainGorichen Peak and the Eastern GorichenPeak are some of the highest peaks inthis region of the Himalayas.

At the lowest altitudes, especially atArunachal Pradesh’s border withAssam, are the Brahmaputra valleysemievergreen forests. Much of theState, including the Himalayan foothillsand the Patkai hills, is home to the Eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests. Towards the northern border with China,with increasing altitudes, one can see amix of Eastern and Northwestern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests, followed by Eastern Himalayan alpineshrubs and meadows, and ultimatelyrock and ice on the highest peaks.

The climate of Arunachal Pradesh is afunction of elevation. Areas at a veryhigh elevation in the Upper Himalayas,close to the Tibetan border, have analpine climate — pretty cold, yet veryenjoyable. Below the Upper Himalayasare the Middle Himalayas, where the climate is temperate. Areas at the subHimalayan and sealevel elevationgenerally experience humid, subtropical climate with hot summers and mildwinters. In these areas, it is the winterseason that is most suitable for tourists.

Some of the major tourist attractionsinclude Tawang (a paradise of sorts

with a Buddhist monastery), Ziro(which is famous for cultural festivals),the Namdapha Tiger Project inChanglang district, and the Sela Lakenear Bomdila with bamboo bridgesoverhanging the river. Religious placesof interest include Malinithan in Lekhabali, Rukhmininagar near Roing (theplace where Rukmini, Lord Krishna’swife in Hindu mythology, is said to havelived), and Parshuram Kund in Lohitdistrict (which is believed to be the lakewhere Parshuram washed away hissins). Rafting and trekking are commonactivities in the State. Places like Tutingin Upper Siang district are incrediblybeautiful, but they are yet to be explored.

Circuit One Must Never MissOne of the best tourism circuits in thewhole of India’s northeastern region isthe TezpurBhalukpongBomdilaTawang Tourist Circuit. It covers a distance of 350 km, beginning from Tezpur,the headquarters of Sonitpur district inAssam, to the 17thcentury TawangMonastery at an altitude of 10,000 ft.

Bhalukpong, 56 km from Tezpur, isthe entry point to Arunachal Pradesh onone’s way to Tawang. It is famous forthe archaeological ruins of KingBhaluka, an ancient ruler. A historicalfort of 10th AD is situated in thefoothills of the region. Some of the important remains of the capital of KingBhaluka and his grandson Bana of theMahabharata fame have been preserved. The mighty Kameng river, aftercompleting all its tumultuous courses,enters Bhalukpong in a quiet �low,which provides a rare opportunity ofadventure tourism. It is a beautiful picnic spot too.

Tipi, 5 km from Bhalukpong, is abotanical heaven — home to about 450species of orchids, some of which arenot only rare but endangered speciestoo. There is an orchid museum here.Waterfalls and the natural beauty of theplace are other attractions.

Sessa, 24 km from Tipi on the way to

TOURISM 59


TOURISM 60

Bomdila, is a natural orchid sanctuaryspread over 10 sq km. Over 2,600 orchids representing 80 species have beencultivated here in natural surroundings.It is a classic effort of natural resourceconservation, which can be cited as aprecedent.

Bomdila, 109 km from Bhalukpongand 2700m above sea level, is the headquarters of West Kameng district andhome of the Aka (Hrusso), Miji (Sajalong), Monpa, Sherdukpen and Bogun(Khawas) tribes. One can visit wonderful craft centres, monasteries, ethnographic museum, emporium etc. Theseare rare. One can also watch varioussnowclad mountain peaks fromBomdila, including a bird’s eye view ofthe Gorichen Peak, the highest peak ofthe State.

Dirang, 42 km from Bomdila and1497m above sea level, is famous forits hot water springs. People take bathhere for curing skin ailments. One canalso visit scenic apple orchards, the National Yak Research and Breeding Centre at Nigmadung, a sheep breedingfarm, and the Sangti Valley whereSiberian blacknecked storks visit during winter. All these are places worthvisiting.

Sela Pass, 45 km from Dirang and4,114m above sea level, is on the wayto Tawang. It is the world’s secondhighest motorable pass at 14,000 ft

with a highaltitude, serene, bluewaternatural lake. The natural beauty of thesurrounding landscape is spellbinding.

Nurannang, 12 km from the SelaPass, is home to a cold water snow andrainbow trout fish hatchery where onecan go in for fishing in the chilly waters— as part of adventure tourism.

Jaswant Garh, 4 km from Nuranang,is a memorial for Veer Jaswant Singh ofthe 4th Garhwal Rifles, who was the recipient of the Mahavir Chakra (posthumous). It was he who alone stoppedthe Chinese Army for 72 hours duringthe 1962 war with China. It is a placewhich all patriotic Indians will love tovisit and pay their tributes to the gallant soldier.

And then Tawang, the ultimate destination, 183 km from Bomdila and3500m above sea level. It has a uniquehistoric dimension mixed with unbelievable natural beauty. The place isone of the important seats of Mahayana Buddhism famous for theTawang Monastery founded by MeraLama Lodre Gyaltso during the 17thcentury, a contemporary of the 5thDalai Lama. This monastery is the second largest in Asia and the largest oneof its kind in the country, controlling17 Gompas in the region. The most impressive part of the monastery is thethreestoried assembly hall thathouses the temple and the 28fthigh

golden statue of the Buddha. Themonastery has a big library with a veryrare collection of ancient books andmanuscripts. It is here the famousBuddhist scriptures Kangyur andTangyur, inscribed in gold, are preserved. Tawang is also famous forbeautiful natural lakes such as theSangetsar Lake with a splendid naturalbeauty of the surroundings. It is hometo snow pigeons and musk deers. Itslocal markets are also a mustsee. Onecan purchase a whole gamut of ethnicitems, very rare indeed, and thus invaluable.

Is not then the TezpurBhalukpongBomdilaTawang Tourist Circuit amajor draw? And what if investors,both NRIs and Indiabased businessleaders, were to invest heavily in thetourism sector in that circuit — be it inthe field of connectivity and transportation or in the hospitality sector— so as to attract more tourists fromacross the world to that beautiful partof this planet? Were it to happen, thatcircuit, especially Tawang, has the potential to emerge as one of the mostsoughtafter tourist destinations of thecountry. And it can happen. It is herethat investors, with an innovativemindset and a clear and pragmaticroad map, ought to ponder —Arunachal Pradesh, after all, deservesthis treatment.


Tawang

Tamluk is historically the most interesting place in the district ofPurba Medinipur in the state ofWest Bengal. The town is located onthe banks of the Rupnarayan Riverclose to the Bay of Bengal. Tamluktown is actually the site of the ancient city known as ‘Tamralipta’ or‘Tamralipti’. Its name Tamraliptawas given both to the kingdom ofwhich it was the capital and to thepeople who held it.

Get into the HistoryIt is frequently mentioned in Jaina,Buddhist and Brahmanical sanskitworks, and it must have been existed before the birth of Christ,Ptolemy (cirea 150 A.D) also noticed it in his geography, calling itTamalites and placed it on the riverGanges. The place �irst emerges in

authentic history as a port at whichmerchants and others embarked forcyclone and from the far east and isseveral times refered to by mediaeval Buddhists, especially the Chinese pilgrims.

Fahien (40511A.D) described itas being on the sea mouth, and hehimself resided for two year in theBuddhist monasteries here. HiuenTsiang visited the place in the seventh century A.D and said that it laynear in inlet of the sea .Close by wasa stupa erected by Asoka. HiuenTsiang referred to Tamralipta as athriving port for the export of indigo, silk, and copper. According tosome scholars the cities name hasbeen delivered from the sanskitword, Tamralipta, which means “fullof copper”.

In ancient times Tamralipta was

FROM TAMRALIPTATO TAMLUK A long journeyAmrita Pal-Das experienced the besthistorical monuments and temples ofTamluk and left spellbound


HERITAGE 66

near the sea, with the advance of theGangetic delta Tamluk is now 97 km inland .It is 32km from the new port ofHaldia on the Hugli River.

Causes for the fall of Tarmalipta as pastProbably Tamluk gradually lost its importance as a sea port owing to the silting up of the channel that formerlyconnected it with the sea which wasonce large enough for sea going vesselsto sail up. This channel survived untilthe middle of the sixteenth Century andis shown in earliest European maps (ofGastaldi and De Barras). Politicalchanges also hastened the downfall ofTamluk. It was annexed to the Orissankingdom by the powerful Ganga king,and thus become a frontier town, farfrom the capital and the �irst to sufferin war. Its trade consequently languished and, not improbably the river

in its easterly diversion swept awaypart of the town. The place however,contained a Portuguese settlement inthe seventeenth century and was aslave market to which the Firinghi pirales brought their prisoners.

Historical evidence found in TamraliptaLittle in now left to mark the past gloryof Tamluk. In the time of the earlykings, the royal palace and grounds aresaid to have covered an area of 8 sqmiles forti�ied by strong walls and deepditches. No trace of the ancient place innow discernible, except some rivers tothe west of the palace of the Kaibarttarajas, which is built on the side of river,surrounded by ditches and covers themore moderate area of 30 acres. Theold city now lies under the rivers siteeven the great temple is now partly underground and remains of masonry

wells are house are met with a depth of18 to 21 ft below the surface. A numberof old silver and copper coins bearingBuddhist symbols were discoveredthirty years ago in the midst of debrisfrom the crumbling banks of the Rupnarayan River.

The principal object of interest inTamluk town is the temple of Bargabhima, who represents Tara, one from ofsakti. This temple is actually built onthe site of a Buddhist Vihara. The wholebuilding is on a raised platform accessible by a �light of stairs consisting of 22steps.

Description of the TempleThere is a “Naubatkhana” just at the topof the grand stairs and the whole enclosure is surrounded by high walls out of�ices and kitchens. The idol informed ofa single black stone with hands and feet


HERITAGE 67

The ruins of the tamluk palace built around 400 yrs ago

HERITAGE 68

attached to it. The deity is representedstanding on the body of Siva and hasfour hands. All though a sakti temple, itis crowned by a chakra or discusseswhich may have been set up by one ofthe kaibartta rajas who ruled duringthe Mohammad an period and were apparently vashnavas by religion. Thisalso may be a reason why animal sacri�ice is not encouraged in the temple.The temple of the Orissan style of architecture, and is modeled after the templeof Puri.

History of BargabhimaVarious con�licting tradition narratehow the temple was founded. The mostpopular want related to how in the daysof king Gururadhwaj of the ancientpeacock dynasty, a �isherman was oneday unable to procure a dish of Saul �ishfor the table of the king, and the angrymonarch ordered him to put of death.The �isherman managed to make his escape to the jungle, where the goddessBhaima appeared before him. She toldhim to lay in a stock of the �ish and drythem, and promised that she would restore them to life, when he wantedthem, by sprinkling them with thewater of a certain well, which had thevirtue of restoring dead things to life.The �isherman followed the instructions of the goddess, and daily took thefresh �ish to the king, who �inding thatthe supply never failed, in season andout of season, questioned the �isherman, and extracted from him the secretof the immortal well. Thereupon thegoddess, who had taken up her abodein the house of the �isherman, incensedat his betrayal of the secret, �led and assuming the from of a stone imageseated herself over the mouth of thewell, so as to hide it from view. The �isherman showed the king the spot, andthe latter not being able to get at well,built the temple over the image.

Why people still throng to this famous TempleThe dread of the anger of BargabhimaMata is great. Even the Marathas, whenravaging lower Bengal, left Tamluk un

touched and made valuable offering tothe temple. The river Rupnarayan itselfin believed to still its waters as it �lowsby the temple , while a shaft distanceabove or below the shrive the wavesare turbulent. The river has on severaloccasions encroached near the temple.Even priests deserted the edi�ice fromfear that the temple would be washedaway; the stream was allowed nonearer approach. As often as it passedthe live, the waters were foread back,and the temple escaped without injury.

Another Vaishnavite TempleThere is also a vishanauvite temple atTamluk. An ancient legend relates thatking Yudhisthira had resolved to perform a great ‘aswamedha jagwa’ orhorse sacri�ice. Arjun, the warrior heraof the Mahabharata was in command ofthe force that accompanied the horsewhen the army arrived at Tamluk, theYubaraj seized the horse, and there wasa great �ight between him and Arjun,the warrior here of the Mahabharata.Krishna, a friend of Arjun, intervened,and the raja of Tamluk, yielding to hisentreaty, released the sacri�icial horse.To commemorate the occurrence, theRaja is said to have erected the temple,in which he set up the image of krishnarajun, which is still worshipped dailyunder the title Vishnu Hari. The oldtemple was washed away by the riverRupnarayan, but the image was saved

and was installed in the present temple,which is said to have been built by theRaja of Tamluk above 400 year ago.

Close to the temple is the palace ofraja Lakshmi Narayan Roy built aroundthe same time as that of theBarghamima temple. One can see theruins of the palace now which bears aclear cry of neglect. The palace nowstands as a dumb spectator to changingtimes.

The Tamluk museum is quite wellequipped, it has stone implements ofthe Neolethic n Paleolithic age. Earthernpots stone images, coins which hadbeen excavated from the banks of theRupnarayan river have been nicely displayed. Archeological evidences showthat the Maurayas, Guptas, Kushanas,Senas and Plalas all carried on tradefrom the Tamralipta port. A visit to theTamluk museum was an enriching experience. The archeological evidencesbear testimony to the importance ofTamralipta of the past.

Learn the Conclusion There is little else of interest in thetown, the present buildings being allmodern. The town is still a place of considerable importance as the centre ofbeat traf�ic on the Rupnarayan. At present the Govt. West Bengal often set up aspecial cell to revive the past glory atTamluk town attempt is being made torepair the dilapidated place.


The pnaromic view of the palace covering more than 1000 acers of land

Foxing all countries

BEARING THE BEAR


WILDLIFE 70

Malayan sun bear. Photo: Dr sandeep Tiwari (WTI)

Though bears are ubiquitous per se,giant panda and polar bear are gettingextinct from its habitat of the eightspecies. Only China and India exhibitthe diversity of four species beingfound in a single country. Except theHimalayan brown bear, the other threespecies sloth bear, Himalayan blackbear and Malayan sun bear are vulnerable species as per the status of IUCNRed List. Schedule I and II of Wildlife(Protection) Act 1972 has been accorded to all the four species of bearsin India. As late as in 2008, the Ministry of Environment and Forestsunder the direction of IUCN (StrategicPlanning for Species Conservation),formed guidelines for bear preservation though earlier in 1999 IUCN hadcompiled information on Indian bears.

Rampant urbanization has poppedthe question How to bear the bears?'There are no con�irmed reports onthe presence of the Tibetan brownbear from north Sikkim where it wasreported to occur in the past.' says S.Sathyakumar of Wildlife Institute ofIndia. Sloth bears are endemic to theIndian subcontinent and have goneextinct recently from Pakistan andBangladesh owing to increasinghuman interface.

India has four species of bears thatare seriously threatened due to poaching for illegal trade in bear parts, livecub trade and retaliatory killings toreduce con�licts due to habitat loss.Bear parts have been minimally usedin some traditional Indian medicinesystems unlike China and South EastAsia.

The bear population in India spansacross 26 states out of 32 states andthus quali�ies to be considered an appropriate umbrella species. S.Sathyakumar puts it,' Since the IUCN

Bear Action Plan(1999) there hasbeen substantial enhancement of information on the status of bears andalso an increase in threats to bearsand their habitats in India. Besides,bear conservation plans need to bedovetailed with existing conservationprograms such as Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Project Snow Leopardand others'.

Are things bad in India alone?In 2006, the sordid state of bears atsome places in Poland became anissue on the welfare needs of bears incaptivity. 'There were 54 bears from�ive different species in captivitywhich did not meet their welfareneeds and were in fact illegal underEU rules' , says Agnieszka Sergiel fromthe University of Wroclaw, Poland.About Asian scenario, Jill Robinsonfrom Hong Kong says, 'Thousands ofendangered Asiatic black bears together with brown bears, are caged onbile farms across Asia sometimes foras long as 30 years. In China, the bearsare surgically mutilated in a dangerous procedure that alters the naturalanatomy of their gall bladder, beforethey are then 'milked' for their bile viaopen �istulas that act as a portal for infection.' Laos too faces similar problems, feels Lorraine Scotson 'trade ofbears, bear parts and derivatives is becoming increasingly signi�icant withlive bears sourced from the wild locally to supply extraction facilities.

Heather Bacon from the Universityof Edinburgh says, 'Osteoarthritis isextremely common in captive bears,even at a relatively young age of 8years and in almost all cases of geriatric bears. Again dental disease oftartar and periodontal is common inall captive bears. The canines often get

At the hand of humans, bears have been meted out a raw dealacross the globe. Ratnadeep Banerji takes stock of the bearpopulation in India vis-a-vis other countries in the wake of therecently concluded International Conference on the Bear Research and Management in New Delhi


WILDLIFE 71

WILDLIFE 72


fractured’. India has a large numberof bears almost 800 in zoos, captive facilities and rescue centres throughoutthe country. As many as 564 sloth bearsare in captive state followed by 182 Asiatic black bear. It is only 5 brown bearsand 4 sun bears that are in captive state.The dancing bears owned by kalandarshave almost ceased to exist since lastmonth.

The Himalayan brown bear has a distinctive hump on the shoulders andoccur in different parts of world. Theyare largely con�ined to the high Himalayan altitudes of 3000m5000m.The brown bear estimates for India varytentatively between 100 and 500. Surprisingly, though bear populations arerecorded largely in protected areas, nopopulation estimate of Himalayanbrown bear is available from Uttarakhand.

Asiatic black bears are distributedover a wide area of southern Asia extending from Iran to Japan. Black bearsare good tree climbers and often createtree nests in the process of breakingbranches. In India, they are populatedall along the southern side of theGreater Himalaya and in the hills ofnortheast Indian states.

Sun bear. Ursus malayanus is thesmallest of bears, adults weighing 2765 kg with the shortest hair. They inhabit the tropical evergreen rainforestthat receives high annual rainfall. Suchplaces abound in Borneo, Sumatra andpeninsular Malaysia. In India, sun bearsare very rare and are patchily distributed in all the seven states of the north

east India along the IndoMyanmar border. Its existence in Assam is highly disputed. In Mizoram just one sun bearwas sighted in 2009. In Nagaland andTripura, they have been sighted onlyrarely by villagers. There are reportsfrom Arunachal Pradesh about sunbears causing damage to maize which isa major crop for many hill tribe people.

In the state of Nagaland, out of 245interviewed respondents, 28.2% con�irmed the presence of sun bear.Wildlife institute of India has conductedsurveys in Manipur that con�irmed thepresence of sun bears in the Chandeland Ukhrukh districts through indirectevidences such as scats, claw marks andfootprints. Jimmy Borah from WWFIndia, Guwahati reports, 'All the threespecies were recorded from differentsites, but no evidence of overlap in theirranges at any site was seen. Himalayanblack bear was reported from the statesof Assam and Arunachal Pradesh; slothbear from Assam and Malayan slothbear from Assam & Mizoram. Our camera trap nights varied from 3000 to3700 nights in �ive different sites.'

Information on population status ofsun bears is not available. The photocapture rates of sun bears are too lowfor the many hundred days of cameratrap effort. Even during the Britishregime, sun bear was only sporadicallysighted. In 1869, Lewin had reportedsun bears in Mizoram's Chittagong HillTracts and the earliest report of sunbear in Meghalaya comes from Blanford(18891).

Among the north east, in Mizoram

trade in bear body parts is the highest.Janmejay Sethy from Wildlife Instituteof India, Dehradun says,'In Mizoramtrade in bear body parts was highest as91 respondents from 40 villages reported cases they came across in theirown respective villages'. Why can't bearpoaching stop? Loveraj SinghDharmshaktu is a BSF of�icer andIndia's top mountaineer. He spills thebeans, 'I hail from a village of Munsiyariregion. The hunters in our area are verypoor. They do it for their bare survivalmoney. No local person wants them toget caught and be sent behind bars forten years. The area of MunsiyariDharchula is inhabited by black bearsare rampantly killed and body partstraf�icked across to China. When a bearkills a poor villager's livestock and revisits the same place, he out ofvengeance and compulsion compensates his loss by poisoning the bear andtrading its body parts. The Governmentcompensation is not very easy to availby these illiterate people and the babusexpect a graft. Over poaching, theguards are overzealous over one or twobottles of liquor. Most jungles do not fallunder any sanctuary and so there ishardly any survey and assessment done.Bear conservation should happen in allforests not merely in select sanctuary.'Loveraj goes on to doubt the Government's decision to close down NandaDevi Sanctuary that he feels has led toincreased poaching.

Mike Baker, the Chief Executive ofWorld Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has most recently partnered with Wildlife Trust of India (WTI)to chart a successful course. WSPA hasalready contributed to the Indian Government's National Bear Conservationand Welfare Action Plan. Ian Robinsonof International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFWA) has gained considerable experience of rehabilitating brown bearsin western Russia, and grizzly bears inwestern Canada. IFAW brought the experience to India to set up a rehabilitation project inArunachal Pradeshto rehabilitate cubsseized from poachers.

(The writer is a sen-ior journalist withvaried interests)

Rescued bears in Odisha. Photo: Rudra Prasanna Mahapatra-WTI


Yesteryears famous actress- AshaParekh was a favourite with movielovers. Her porcelain beuaty, bouffantstyles, dance and acting histrionicshad the entire nation in a tizzy.Tagged as the jubilee queen shestarted her career as a child artists.She has worked in movies for overforty years, from her prime years inthe industry. Having worked in 90films, she even did regional cinemaand experimented with television as apresentor and producer. With severalfilmfare awards under her kitty, shestill acts in movies, but far and few!

From beauty, talent and elegance Gujarati actors and actresses have done fair justice to being a part of Hindi film industry since its inception. In fact, Gujaratimovies by itself also has a rich past. The Gujarati actors in Bollywood have indeed carved a niche for itself while offering joy and honor to the growth of Indian Cinema. From Ayesha Takia, Dimple Kapadia, Amisha Patel, Jackie Shroff,Asha Parekh, Tina Munim, Tulip Joshi, Pooja Bhatt, Alia Bhatt, Prachi Desai,Paresh Rawal, Ratna Pathak Shah, Supriya Pathak Shah, Neelam Kothari, Sanjeev Kumar, Dev Patel, Ashmit Patel the list has been endless. With an enormous dose of talent presented to the cinema world, somehow these womenhave been portrayed in a dignified and relaistic manner. They have acted in varied genres from mythology, historical movies, parrallel cinema, social dramaor political issues or comedy escapades, Gujarati heroines have created a stirand stood out in Bollywood. Kavita Wadhwani profiles some of the front-runnerGujaratis in the Indian film industry

CARVING A NICHE!

Ayesha Takia had the entire nation swearing byher uber cute looks.Starting her career withthe famous complan adwith Shahid Kapoor , theactress grew up to fea-turing in several musicvideos and ads in place.She was picked up todebut in Socha Na Thaopposite Abhay Deol.Soonafter, followed aseries of plum offersfrom big baners. A complete mama’s girland a go-getter, this girlhas stolen the show inmovies like- Dor, HomeDelivery , Wanted, DeTalli and Dil Mange More.Married to an estab-lished businessmanFarhan Azmi four yearsago, Ayesha actively

looks after his business.

CINEMA 74

Asha Parekh

Ayesha Takia


Dimple Kapadia, is well be branded asthe face of Indian beauty. With an acting debut at 16, in teen romanceBobby, the style diva of sorts sweptmany a hearts with her confidence.After a fruitful acting stint in Hindicinema, she married Rajesh Khannaand had two daughters, whom shelater willingly encouraged to be a partof the industry. Dimple never steeredclear of the industry rather she kepther passion for the arts alive withsensitive renditions in off beat movieslike Rudaali, Sagar, Dil Chahta Hai, DilAashna Hai, Being Cyrus, Leela toname a few. She continues to makeher presence felt with appearanceson television and meaty roles inmovies.

Neelam Kothari, though born andbrought up abroad, was however offered a role in cinema while on aholiday in the country. She decided togive acting a shot and ended up actingin many movies. Her bubbly, onscreenpersona was much liked by the audiences and she bagged plum assignments in her kitty like Gharana,Sindoor, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Aag HiAag, Ghar Ka Chiraag, Hum SaathSath Hain to name a few. This petitebeauty with an effervescent smile,quit acting to pursue a career in jewellery designing and got marriedto her beau Samir Soni last year.

Prachi Desai, has been one of themost sought after actress on television, thanks to her mentor EktaKapoor who gave her a bright platform. After her claim to fame rolein Kasam Se, she did minuscule rolesin many serials and shows, followedby her big debut in Rock On, followedby Once Upon A Time In Mumbai, BolBachchan and Life Partner. Fit as afiddle now, her eyes are set on biggerbanners ,she all set to roll.

Amisha Patel, the pretty young thingwho debuted opposite Hrithik Roshanin Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. She made herpresence felt in the industry withmany notable films like- Gadar, Honeymoon Travels, Bhool Bhulaiya,Humraaz, Mangal Pandey to name afew. The gorgeous beauty has also experimented with a few regionalfilms. All set with her productionhouse, she is set to experiment withmore genres.

Dev Patel: When the hunk entered theindustry, filmmakers stood up andtook notice of his acting skills inSlumdog Millionaire, the Englishactor has also acted in British seriesSkiins, The Newsroom and the movieThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Hehas also been dating his co-starFrieda Pinto since his debut film.

CINEMA 75

Neelam Kothari

Amisha Patel

Prachi Desai

Dimple Kapadia

Dev Patel

CINEMA 76


Paresh Rawal, the comedian par excellence can safely be tagged as thecomedy king of bollywood. With innumerable awards for his comic capers and bagful of notable films.This actor needs no introduction toanyone who has been following films.He is best remembered for his filmslike- Ram Lakhan, Krodh, Swarg,Prem Qaidi, Daulat Ki Jang, PehlaNasha, King Uncle, Damini, Shatranj,Ladla, Andaz Apna Apna, Mohra,Krantiveer, Awaara Pagal Diwana, DeDana Dana, Golmaal, Oh My God etc. Areal gift to Bollywood, his contributionin the industry will be unforgettable.He is married to actress SwaroopSampat.

Sanjeev Kumar, bundle of talent fromGujarat, has been regarded as an iconor a stalwart in the industry. The manwith a golden heart is most fondly remembered for his roles in Angoor,Khilona, Aandhi, Namkeen, Sholay,Koshish, Mausam, Vidhata, Trishuletc. Be it comedy or serious drama,he performed his roles to the hilt andgot into the skin of the character.

Tina Munim, she was beauty queenbefore she was discovered by DevAnand for her debut in movies. Havingbeen a hit pair with Rajesh Khannawith eleven movies in a row, she wenton to become one of the most prominent faces in the industry. Shewas a tagged as a thinking man’sfavourite. Tina completed her studiesin California, and thereafter got married to multi-billionaire Anil Ambani and settled into matrimonial bliss with much ease.Best remembered for her sensitiveperformance in Rocky, Karz, BaatonBaaton Mein, Yeh Vaada Raha andSouten.

Pooja Bhatt, the daughter of notedfilm maker Mahesh Bhatt is still remembered for her mind-blowingperformances. Having started her career at the tender age of 17, she isbest noted for her dimpled smile, angelic face, child-like innocence andacting prowess. Her performance inDil Hai Ki Manta Nahi, Zakhm, Sadak,and Daddy with the most establishedactors in the industry. Post her marriage, she has hardly been seenon the big screen but continues toproduce and direct movies often on.

Tina Munim

Sanjeev Kumar

Paresh Rawal

Pooja Bhatt

INTERVIEW 77

‘Advantage Rajasthan makes ittop investment hub’

Rajasthan is already a preferred investment destination because of its many advantages– it is close to the National Capital and it has a transparent and accountable

administration, which is coupled with landmark industrial policies, says Industry Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Rajendra Pareek in an interview with Archana

An industryfriendly climate, visionarypolicies, conducive business climate,transparent decisionmaking, accountable administration, an enabling infrastructure and a lots more have togethermade Rajasthan a top destination fordomestic and overseas investment, saysthe state’s Industries Minister Shri Rajendra Pareek. He speaks about some

sectorspeci�ic initiatives:

What makes Rajasthan tick withglobal investors? How important aretextiles, ceramics and glass industries to the state?Rajasthan is already a preferred investment destination because of its manyadvantages – it is close to the NationalCapital and it has a transparent and accountable administration, which is coupled with landmark industrial policies.We also focus on the �iner points and requirements of key sectors, which alsoattract major attention.

As regards textiles, ceramics andglass industries, certainly, these aresome of our traditional sectors. By traditional I mean our people have beenengaged in producing all types of clothand pottery since time immemorial. Notonly in our state, but I would say theseare important sectors in our countryand provide employment to a largenumber of people. Exports from ourstate alone are worth Rs.3,500 crore annually.

What have been the initiatives in textiles?As you may be aware, we recently organised an international exposition ontextiles called ‘Vastra 2012’. The spirit

behind this was to showcase our vastknowledge and advantages in this sector. Our Honourable Chief Minister (ShriAshok Gehlot) made it a priority to visitthe fair. It was a huge success in termsof the business it generated. It broughtnearly 350 buyers from 60 countriesright at our doorsteps. We are makingefforts to expose our textiles industry tothe latest in technology and bring buyers to them through such fairs. It hasalso been decided to make Vastra an annual affair. This has been done on a special request made by Rajasthan StateIndustrial Development and InvestmentCorp (RIICO), its organisers, along withthe Federation of Indian Chambers ofCommerce and Industry (FICCI), the coorganiser.

Our Chief Minister who is ever enthusiastic about promoting different sectors of industry, also announced that thestate will soon get a textile policy tomake the industry more competitive,

both in the domestic and internationalmarkets. The policy would place emphasis on manufacturing, skill development and boosting exports. Thedepartment of Industries has alreadyprepared a draft, which would be circulated soon to other concerned departments to seek their comments. Afterthat it will be sent to the state Cabinetfor approval. At present, there is no separate policy for the textiles sector andthe state feels that there is a need topush the sector.

What about ceramics and glass?As you may be aware, Saint Gobain, theworld’s largest �loat glass manufacturing company has already set up its second unit in our country at Bhiwadi inour state. That has already created abuzz. Saint Gobain will also start production by early next year. This isthanks to the initiatives taken by ourgovernment. We also hold popular fairsevery two years for these two sectors –CeraGlass and Stonemart.

Then, there is this Ceramics Hub atGhilot that is coming up. Only some environmental clearances for it areawaited and we are expecting thoseclearances soon. Rest assured, this hubwill also attract big investments, asGAIL India has committed to providingpiped natural gas as feedstock for theCeramics Hub.

We have also decided to work out acustomized package of incentives to attract more investment in the ceramicsand glass sectors. Though our government already offers many incentives, aspecial package will boost sentimentand help in attracting worldclass play


Rajendra Pareek

INTERVIEW 78

ers. We are also keen that our industriesupgrade themselves to remain competitive and for that we would like to facilitate technology transfer from othercountries into Rajasthan.

You have also mentioned about theimportance of skill development!India not only has a large populationbut one of the largest young populations in the world. If we provide themwith skills we can turn our youth intoproductive assets. That is our thinking.As more people join the workforce oureconomy will only bene�it. In our all ourpolicies we lay emphasis on skill development. Skilled manpower and availability is also important for a potentialinvestor in deciding on a location. Oneof the main objectives of the RajasthanIndustrial and Investment Promotion

Policy 2010 is to achieve optimal development of human capital and promote a knowledge led growth.

At the justconcluded CeraGlass, it wasdecided to set up a corpus of Rs.10 crorefor skill development in the ceramics andsector, which is another important section of industry in Rajasthan. We havealso decided to set up a chair to encourage research and development in the sector. The state government will grant Rs.1crore for setting up this chair. We alsoneed trained workforce in the ceramic,glass and allied industries now that theproposed Ceramic Hub will come up atGhilot.

Then in textiles, RIICO is already partnering with the Apparel Training and Design Centre (ATDC) for their SMARTcentres in Rajasthan. Already 6,889 people have been trained in the 13 such cen

tres for the apparel industry in Rajasthan.This shows that skill development is oneof our thrust areas in all sectors. RIICOhas also been directed to provide land forskill development to promote trainingcentres in industrial areas.

Isn’t the stone sector also attracting alot of attention in Rajasthan?Yes. Let me speak about Stonemart. It isour oldest business fair and will be heldlater in January. It was started in 2000.Over the years, it has become one of theforemost expositions of the global stoneindustry. This year, we are expectingrecord participation of more than 50,000visitors. The stalls have been sold outwell in advance. So, we are now gearingup to welcome the big companies in thestone and construction business toJaipur for Stonemart.

As regards textiles, ceramics and glass industries, certainly, these are some of our traditional sectors. By traditional I mean our people have been engaged in producing alltypes of cloth and pottery since time immemorial. Not only in our state, but I would saythese are important sectors in our country and provide employment to a large number

of people. Exports from our state alone are worth Rs.3,500 crore annually.


Japanese Zone at NeemranaA Success story

The Japanese Industrial zone at Neemrana is a modernday citadel ofRajasthan, a vibrant example of the development taking place in the state, togive a new facelift to the ancient town,whose claim to fame is an imposing hillside fort.

Just 120 km from the national capitalNew Delhi, Neemrana is more than amilestone in Rajasthan's success storyof growth, �lanked as it is by several industrial areas Bhiwadi, Tapukara,Khushkhera, Neemrana, Shajapur andGhilot, all in Alwar district.

They together form an upcomingmega cluster of industrial areas and residential townships as the gateway toRajasthan, representing the swift androbust change the state, led by ChiefMinister Ashok Gehlot, has been seeingthe past few years.

This is a change that has made thestate a toast of top manufacturing andservices sector companies from within

and outside the country.Little wonder, the Japan External

Trade Organisation (JETRO) sees it asan important destination for its companies to set up manufacturing facilities and operations. The RajasthanState Industrial Development and investment Corp (RIICO) developed thiszone dedicated to industries from onecountry.

In fact, it is the �irst and the only sucheconomic zone in India. A total of 482acres has been allotted to 43 companieshere, out of which 20 have commencedproduction. Thirteen units are underimplementation.

"In spite of worldwide recession during the past few years, the investment to the Japanese zone is on track, asplanned since 2008, when it was �irstset up," said Chairman, RIICO, Mr. SunilArora.

"This says a lot about the high level ofsatisfaction the Japanese companieshave about Neemrana about the infrastructure, about the hasslefree environment which we offer to run theirmanufacturing units," Mr. Arora added.

In fact, some of the bestknownJapanese companies from Nissin andMitsui to Daikin and Mitsubishi havealready set up their units in this zonebringing in investment to the tune ofRs.4,132.27 crore (a little under $1 billion).

Other prominent units at the zoneare TPR Auto, Daichi Colour and NipponExpress, etc.

"The fact that the Japanese zone inRajasthan has been a success can begauged from the fact that we recently

got a request from JETRO to extend thiszone. Subsequently we have allotted anadditional 500 acres to them," Said MDRIICO Mr. Naveen Mahajan.

The additional land has been allottedin Ghilot near Neemrana.

This industrial hub in more than oneway also re�lects Rajasthan's overall potential as one of the choicest, andfastgrowing, investment destinations ofIndia. This is thanks to a welcoming political setup, a responsive administration and a strifefree industrial climate. This has set the pace for someincredible economic and industrialgrowth.

The Japanese zone operates likeother areas developed by RIICO. Theonly restriction is that companies investing in this zone should have majority holding of more than 50 percent of Japanese origin.

As most of the manufacturers aremaking auto components that are beingsupplied to units outside Rajasthan, thecentral sales tax in this zone has beencut from 2 percent to just 0.25 percent.This concessional rate is valid up to25th July, 2015.

Neemrana is also an important hubalong the National Highway 8, alsoalong the DelhiMumbaiIndustrial Corridor.

"This area, I am sure, is all set to seefurther growth as it will be the �irstnode along the corridor. It will see enormous in�lux of investment in the future," Mr. Mahajan said.

In fact, close to 40 percent of the corridor falls within the districts ofJaipur, Alwar, Kota and Bhilwara in

The Japanese Industrial zone at Neemrana has made the state a sought after destination for topmanufacturing and services- sector companies internationally

Shri Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan


Rajasthan. It will provide highquality environment with stateoftheart infrastructure to investors.

This includes the creation of a newintegrated township with a knowledgecity in the KhushkheraBhiwadiNeemrana belt and a Green�ield international airport for passengers andcargo with an integrated logistics andwarehousing hub.

Work on this ambitious project hascommenced with RIICO having initiated

the process for the acquisition of 1,506hectares of land in Alwar district. Itpromises to yet again to change the waythe world perceives Rajasthan, theRIICO Managing Director said.

"In a way, the Japanese zone encapsulates all the advantages an investor has in Rajasthan – it is close tothe national Capital, has a good accessto markets in the northern and westernquarters of the country and, of course,offers vast opportunities.”

Just 120 km from thenational capital NewDelhi, Neemrana is

more than a milestonein Rajasthan's success

story of growth, flankedas it is by several industrial areas -

Bhiwadi, Tapukara,Khushkhera,

Neemrana, Shajapurand Ghilot, all in Alwardistrict. They together

form an upcomingmega cluster of

industrial areas andresidential townships

as the gateway to Rajasthan, representing

the swift and robustchange the state, led by

Chief Minister AshokGehlot, has been seeing

the past few years.

Ashimori

Japanese Zone Neemrana

Daikin


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