Was Mother Teresa a proselytiser?

CONTROVERSY

religion debate

These were the pearls of wisdom mingled with hatred that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat dropped while inaugurating an orphanage and a women’s home in Bharatpur the other day: “Here we will not provide service like that rendered by Mother Teresa. It is possible that her kind of work was good, but there was a motive behind that service. It was to convert those she served to Christianity.

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Defaulters make merry

SCAM

nsel investigation

Despite the arrest of IIFL Commodities director Chintan Modi, Anand Rathi Commodities director Amit Rathi, Geofin Comtrade director CP Krishnan, there are still many defaulters like Jagmohan who are roaming scot free. Jagmohan used the money to build an empire and is still enjoying the luxuries of life

Jab ishwar hai saath to dar kahe ka (When God is with us, why be afraid). This is the ringtone of the mobile phone of Mohan India promoter Jagmohan, who is embroiled in the Rs. 6,000-crore National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL) scam. It is now almost 21 months since the NSEL scam was exposed. Unfortunately, there has been no action by the government against defaulting borrowers, who had taken money from the Exchange and are not returning it.

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Mother Teresa and all that

SILLY POINT

humour mk kaw

The latest remark by the RSS chief that Mother Teresa‘s sole motive in the so-called service of the poor was a desire to convert them to Christianity has sparked off yet another needless controversy. This is singularly unfortunate, because such comments tend to project a strangely unfamiliar face of Hinduism which has hitherto had a highly tolerant attitude towards religious debate and discourse.

One of the earliest encounters of the Sanatana Dharma was with the Parsis. These adherents to Zoroastrianism had to run away from their native Persia because of trouble there. When they arrived by ship in what is modern Gujarat,

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Emergency years

BOOK EXTRACT

prime ministers indira gandhi

Between midnight and the early hours of June 26, 1975, Indira Gandhi closed down the world’s largest democracy. Most people awoke to a hot, sultry and oppressive day, like most summer mornings in Delhi, not knowing that the course of history had changed while they slept. On the radio, Indira Gandhi was telling a dazed nation, in a voice gone shrill, about the “deep and widespread conspiracy” which had forced her government to act. The “plot”, she intoned, “sought to negate the very functioning of democracy...How can any government worth the name stand by and allow the country’s stability to be imperilled?”

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I the Minister, I the Trustee

MY CORNER

accountability amitabh thakur

The government has every right to distribute largesse but it must be through fair, transparent and equitable measures

There is a Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar Shodh Sansthan in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh, situated in the midst of the city. This Shodh Sansthan was established in the year 2005-06 with the assigned purpose of primary research to remove obstacles hindering the successful completion of social, economic and educational programmes, for incorporating a practical approach in development works for minorities, formulating projects for socio-economic development of Muslim communities, and so on.

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Look for quality

STOCK DOCTOR

dr gs sood

Markets and Modi both witnessed correction in view of AAP’s landslide victory in Delhi. The markets, though, soon recovered, expecting the Delhi result to put further pressure on the Central government to speed up the reform process. Expectations of a market-friendly Budget was yet another reason. However, the short-term outlook may remain tense due to the lacklustre Q3 performance of the corporate sector and global factors, but the medium and long-term views remains decisively bullish.

The Economic Survey clearly points to this fact when it observes that “India has reached a seat spot—rare in the history of nations—in which it could finally be launched on double digit medium term growth trajectory”. It forecasts a growth rate of up to 8.5 per cent for FY 15-16, making India one of the fastest growing major economies, surpassing even China.

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The ultimate union

PERSPECTIVE

yogic culture sadhguru

In yogic culture, there are two aspects to Shiva. The word ‘Shiva’ literally means ‘that which is not’. Everything that is has come from ‘that which is not’. If you look up at the sky, you will see many stars and celestial objects, but still the biggest presence out there is a vast emptiness. It is in the lap of this No-thingness that the dance of creation is happening right now. This emptiness, which is the very basis of creation, is referred to as ‘Shiva’.

Another dimension of Shiva is Adiyogi, the first yogi, who opened up the incredible science of yoga for humanity. Yogic culture moves seamlessly from invoking Shiva as the basis of creation to invoking Shiva as the first yogi.

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Sidhu’s sixer

Bric-a-brac

sense & sensibilities

a way with words

After doing 52 rallies in the Delhi Assembly elections, the firebrand BJP leader, Navjot Singh Sidhu, was travelling from New Delhi to Mumbai in the executive class of a private airline.

Filmstars Saurabh Shukla, Raza Murad and AAP leader Gul Panag were also on the flight. Sidhu is usually well-dressed but it is easy to see that he is superstitious. The fingers of his right hand and wrist are covered with ruby, sapphire and coral rings and bracelets. Apart from this, there are many threads in different colours also tied on his right wrist. Perhaps unprecedented fame fills a man with trepidation.

While de-boarding, a passenger suggested that he should focus on Punjab now since the Akalis are in an appalling situation. Sidhu immediately retorted that the Akalis’ rule was draconian and they should be removed at once. Panag, the famous actress and now AAP leader, came and wished Sidhu. She said that her father had asked her to convey that he felt Sidhu deserved to be the next chief minister of Punjab. Sidhu lost no time in congratulating her for doing so well in Delhi and said that the day the BJP gives him  charge of Punjab, he will invite her to join his party. Panag did not know where to look after Sidhu’s sixer.

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Khattar sense

Bric-a-brac

sense & sensibilities

cm silent on vadra land deal

What does Haryana have in store for Robert Vadra, the husband of Priyanka Vadra Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi’s daughter? Nobody knows. Vadra, as per sources, is in possession of land beyond the prescribed limits of the law. Sources say that he has possession of 157.5 acres, which is in contravention of the law, and in the given circumstances, the state government has the power to confiscate the entire property. Our sources on the fourth floor of the Chandigarh Secretariat have disclosed that the complete file of Vadra’s land deals was submitted to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar for further action. The file has not been returned to the officers yet with Khattar’s recommendations. In the meantime, the Haryana government is planning to institute a committee headed by a retired High Court judge to investigate all disputed land deals in Gurgaon and Faridabad. With respect to Vadra, the government remains mute. Finally, the Khattar government seems to have learnt the art of ruling the state.

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New spokesperson for Congress

Bric-a-brac

sense & sensibilities

grapevine abuzz with anand sharma’s name

The question facing the Indian National Congress is: Who will be the new spokesperson? Ajay Maken has been appointed president of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, which has led to a vacuum in the All India Congress Committee office. Many prominent names have surfaced. At the top of the list are Manish Tiwari, Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh and S Jaipal Reddy along with Kapil Sibal. It is to be seen whether Tiwari will accept the post or not. Ramesh is close to Rahul Gandhi but he does not have a grassroots-level liaison with journalists. Sibal has gone back to the courts for his legal practice and does not have time. Sharma is a good speaker but his tantrums are intolerable. Even the AICC staff is unhappy with him. Jaipal Reddy is a seasoned politician and has vast experience in understanding the newspaper industry and journalists. He is considered among the old guard of the Congress. The grapevine has it that, in all probability, Sharma will be the new spokesperson. If that does happen, the already beleaguered Congress party will have tough days ahead.

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Mayawati’s many addresses

Bric-a-brac

sense & sensibilities

the bsp is the ticket to home

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati has a penchant for properties and solitaires. She started her career from a small house in Inderpuri, Delhi, but today is the owner of a number of properties worth millions of rupees across India. She has three bungalows on the posh Gurudwara Rakabgunj Road in Lutyen’s Delhi—Nos. 12, 14 and 16. She has managed to get the approval of the Urban Development Ministry for merging the three bungalows into one, defying all norms. She was allotted bungalow No. 4 on Gurudwara Rakabgunj Road for her party office and bungalow No. 3 on Tyagraj Marg as the party president of the BSP. The Tyagraj Marg house has recently been given a facelift and one can only admire the new decor. She bought a property which houses the Bahujan Samaj Trust office at 11, Sardar Patel Marg from the famous Sadia Dehlvi. She already has two prominent properties in Connaught Place. Recently, she has bought a beautiful property at 7, Jorbagh. It is located opposite the Safdarjung Madrassa. A 1,100-square-yard bungalow, it has a unique location, given its proximity to the Metro station as well as Safdarjung Airport. It has been learnt that the property was sold for Rs. 150 crore by the owner. Mayawati has put up a board, declaring it a ‘camp office’ of the Bahujan Samaj Party. Now we must wait for a palatial building with big elephant statues outside the gate.

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Doval’s hand

...by the way

There was a time during Manmohan Singh’s regime, when a majority of the bureaucrats in the ministries were either Kerala-born or of the Kerala cadre. Former Cabinet Secretary KM Chandra Shekhar and Principal Secretary TKA Nair were instrumental in playing a pivotal role in this. But the dominance of the Kerala cadre did not last long. With AK Seth coming in as the new Cabinet Secretary and Pulok Chatterjee appointed as the PM’s Principal Secretary in UPA1, UP cadre officers got a chance at their place in the sun. Again, the game has changed with the new government. But the most powerful secretaries still come from Kerala. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval is from Kerala and so is the new Intelligence Bureau chief, Dineshwar Sharma. The unceremonious exit of Home Secretary Anil Goswami, sources disclosed, led to discussions  in the PMO on who should succeed him. Everybody had their own candidates. Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Shukla was said to be the front-runner. But Doval was for the Rural Development Secretary, LC Goyal, a Kerala-cadre officer. And, of course, Goyal was appointed the new Home Secretary. Everybody in the PMO knows that Doval means business.

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No crime to seek a bribe

...by the way

Here is fresh evidence of how the culture of bribery has got entrenched in the three Authorities of Noida (Noida, Greater Noida and Yamuna Expressway) over the years. We heard it from the horse’s mouth. A few years ago, one of the home secretaries of the Uttar Pradesh government, who then reported to the Principal Secretary (Home) in Lucknow, was registering his property in Greater Noida at the Authority. As happens so often in such cases, he was told to pay a bribe for smooth and expeditious registration. The suggestion infuriated the officer. “How could an employee ask me for a bribe?” He complained to the top brass in the Authority and insisted on suspension of the employee who had asked for the bribe.  The employee was identified and given a dressing down. But the officers higher up were in no mood to place the employee under suspension. They assured the home secretary that his work would be done without a penny of a bribe and at express speed, provided he forgave the employee and withdrew his complaint. “He was prevailed upon to withdraw his complaint,” a retired top Authority officer recounted to gfiles.

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Prasar Bharti will not change

...by the way

That Prasar Bharti is in a mess is known to everyone but the fact is that the situation is so precarious that one hand does not know what the other is doing. It is a bizarre situation in Prasar Bharti. Neither is the public exchequer being used for upgrading and upscaling of what appears on the TV screen nor are they aware of their tax liabilities. In the latest instance, it has been found that Prasar Bharti has paid `100 crore as service tax when the tax had already been paid to the CBEC. When this was discovered, rather than taking immediate action, a routine approach was adopted by sending a letter to the CBEC for a refund. It will take months to get the money back. When gfiles asked the CEO for a response, he, in turn, told finance department personnel VAM Husain, Prerna Sood and VK Choubey to reply. We are yet to receive any reply. Had this been a private organisation, the CEO and the CFO would have been sacked on charges of financial laxity. However, in Prasar Bharti, both the CEO and the CFO are continuing with their roles from the Parliament Street office, unfazed.

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Paper leak

...by the way

The leaking of sensitive papers from government offices has created a furore among senior bureaucrats in the ministries. Five officials have been tasked with cleansing the system within the government. Ajit Doval, National Security Adviser, Ajit Kumar Seth, Cabinet Secretary, Dineshwar Sharma, Director, Intelligence Bureau, Rajinder Khanna, Chief of the Research and Analysis Wing, and BS Bassi, Commissioner of Delhi Police, are working in tandem to nab the culprits. The latest reports suggest that Doval is driving the surveillance operation and major infrastructure in ministries to sensitise officials about files that hold importance for Modi’s economic reforms. Sharma is working actively to expose the rot in various other ministries. This exposé was started due to the adjudication of the Panna-Mukta and Tapti oil and gas fields of Reliance Industries in 2011. If insiders are to be believed, Reliance Industries was informed of the developments but one of their higher officials did not pay heed. Finally, Cabinet Secretary Seth decided not to circulate sensitive documents to ministries in advance. He has put in place a mechanism to circulate the papers just an hour before meetings to prevent leaks. It is learnt that Seth plans to do away with hard copies of Cabinet notes by handing over a tablet to each Union Minister containing soft copies before the meeting.

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From the Editor

I met a senior Secretary in the Government of India last year. Belonging to a middle-class family in Uttar Pradesh—his father was a school teacher in a small town and mother was a housewife—he was in a mood for introspection. He felt that while his schoolteacher father could built an independent house while educating him and his siblings—one of his brothers is an IAS officer, the other an IPS officer and his sisters are professional doctors—he finds it difficult to do so. “When I analyse, I feel I can’t have an independent house, being a Secretary in the Government, and can’t educate my sons the way I want,” he said, adding, “I can’t believe that in the past 30 years, decent education, healthcare and housing are out of reach for a middle-class man. Where is India heading, I don’t know?” The answer to this needs to be debated.

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Modi’s mission for transforming India

COVER STORY

NITI AAYOG

six-decade-old Planning Comission has been disbanded and the new Niti Aayog has been launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the target of giving more autonomy to the States to plan and utilise the resources in a true sense of the federal spirit of the nation. Prabhat Kumar, MG Devasahayam, MK Kaw and Shubhabrata Bhattacharya analyse the Niti Aayog.

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Define the nuts and bolts

COVER STORY

niti aayog prabhat kumar

The functions of the Niti Aayog and how it will proceed to transform India need to be spelt out clearly and without much delay

In his first flush of governance reforms, the Prime Minister announced the abolition of the Planning Commission and its replacement with the National Institution for Transforming India. Almost everyone, except the Nehruvian ideologues, welcomed the decision as it was generally agreed that the Planning Commission had outlived its purpose and utility and that something had to be done about it.

I wish the Niti Aayog succeeds in fulfilling the promise with which it has been created. And I hope that in its first meeting on February 6, 2015, it spells out its mission as well as the mechanism to do it.

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From Planning to Transformation: An uphill task!

COVER STORY

niti aayog mg devasahayam

The task is cut out for the new avatar of the now disbanded Planning Commission

At The Economic Times’ Global Business Summit in mid-January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out his Transformation Agenda in no uncertain terms. After presenting a poser—“India is a $2-trillion economy today. Can we not dream of an India with a $20-trillion economy?”—he unveiled his ‘doctrine of development’ in lucid terms: “The government must nurture an ecosystem where the economy is primed for growth; and growth promotes all-round development. Where development is employment-generating; and employment is enabled by skills. Where skills are synced with production; and production is benchmarked to quality. Where quality meets global standards; and meeting global standards drives prosperity. Most importantly, this prosperity is for the welfare of all.” With such seamless segueing, India will be transformed from a poor/low-income to a high-income/rich nation and poverty will stand eliminated.

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Niti Aayog or Atithi Aayog?

COVER STORY

planning mk kaw

Simple solutions lie buried in the reports of a myriad Commissions and Committees. All we need is implementation

When I first heard the policy pronouncement of the new government that the Planning Commission was going to be abolished, I felt like celebrating. Since the early 1960s when I joined the service, I have harboured a deep-rooted prejudice against this leviathan.

The reason was simple. Even a blind man with his eyes bandaged could plainly perceive the incandescent truth that the Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police were the two draught animals who pulled the bullock-cart of peace and progress in the field. Yet the Planning Commission was totally blind to this reality. So much so, that the revenue and police were the only departments which did not have a Plan scheme to their name.

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