From the Chairman

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

From the Chairman ISSUE 9 APR 2012 EDITORIAL FROM THE CHAIRMAN EDITOR’S NOTE FOUNDER- AUTHOR BOOK LAUNCH from the chairman nother financial year has passed: augmented to enable us to create our own MAHINDRA REVA HONOURING one of immense satisfaction for us. niche in this sector. A PIONEER COMMUTING COST A We’ve completed the exercise of PARTNERING FOR A GREEN consolidating the Maini brand within the Very interesting acquisitions and alliances AUTOMOTIVE FUTURE companies. This year will see the brand are on the anvil. These will add to the GROUP AEROSPACE & DEFENCE identity’s strengths communicated to all our Group’s technical competence. SIATI: EXCELLENCE AWARDED stakeholders. MGA AIR SHOWING EADS-MAINI In CSR, the Gramothan Foundation’s work TECH TIE-UP MTU Suppliers Group fledglings continues to integrate more and more with DAY, Munich AIRBUSTOP Maini Plastics and the lives and future of the communities it’s VISITING AERO DISTINCTION Composites and Armes adopted. MMM SAMHITA WAREHOUSING Maini Storage Systems SHOW TOW TRIUMPHANT have established their Finally, it’s with pride that I mention the RANGOLI NEW HEADS foothold in the Indian acknowledgement of the achievements of ARMES MAINI WELL-ACHIEVED market space. Significant investments have Dr. S. K. Maini and Chetan Maini which BREMBO BRAKES EXPORT: AL been made in them to address market this issue briefly outlines. My hearty DOBOWI CUSTOMIZATION AND expectations for exponential growth. congratulations to them. MPP BOSCH, EATON ACCOLADES The Group’s newly formed Defence and Best wishes, MPC RTM GROWTH: NEW CURVE CSR Aerospace division has succeeded in creating GRAMOTHAN UPDATE a buzz for our products. Its team will be – Sandeep Kumar Maini Book launch: Visionary of Modern India Mahamana, or “most respected”. EDITOR reetings from Maini Varta and Dr. S. K. Maini was himself an alumnus welcome to Issue Nine. This of Banaras University, founded by Pandit Gyear, we come to you in April, Malaviya one of modern India’s foremost a deliberate choice since here at Maini places of learning and the primary reason he Varta, we always have to plan for the fact was known as Teacher of the Nation. The that at the Group interesting things are Founder was motivated to write this book as a happening all the time! tribute to a man whose values and life’s work DEC 27TH 2011. Maini Group Founder Dr. S. contributed to what India is today. So it’s now more logical to publish K. Maini co-authored a biography of Pandit another issue when there’re many different Madan Mohan Malaviya (1861-1946), 2011 A comprehensive tome, painstakingly detailed, things to share with you. As you’ll see being the year of his 150th birth anniversary. illustrated and printed, Visionary of Modern with this one, our ninth, there’s a mix of Educationist, freedom fighter and himself India makes a scholarly and much-needed news about people and products that will, four-time President of the Indian National addition to the scant documentation of Pandit we think, make enlightening reading. And Congress, Pandit Malaviya was also revered as Malaviya’s life. viewing, like of our exciting new corporate branding. AT THE DELHI BOOK RELEASE attended by leading figures of This issue, we’re focusing on the people the capital’s political, who’ve been at the heart of Maini news. education and cultural circles. On the stage, Like all those who’ve joined us recently Kapil Sibal, Hon. Min. and those whose extracurricular efforts Communications brighten our working days, with efforts and Information Technology, Hon. like the winning rangoli design at MMM Prime Minster of India that also inspires this issue’s graphics and Manmohan Singh which we hope you enjoy. and President, Indian National Congress (INC) Sonia Gandhi. Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya himself was a four-time INC – Gita Maini President. [email protected] To be recognised publicly by such a prestigious institution as The Economist gives us great pride – Chetan Maini Honouring a pioneer OCT 20TH 2011. SCIENCE MUSEUM, LONDON. Chetan Maini, Chief of Strategy and Technology, Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles and REVA’s inventor was awarded The Economist Innovation Award for Energy and the Environment 2011 for pioneering affordable electric vehicles. The award was presented by Paul Compton, CEO of sponsor ARPRO® for Europe, Middle-East and Africa. Sharing his views on the felicitation, Mr. Maini said, “This is definitely the most meaningful award I’ve received. It’s always been my dream to use technology to provide alternative green transportation that’s affordable, significantly and beneficially impactful. It’s also a great boost to the Mahindra Reva team, who’s worked tirelessly prestigious institution as The Economist gives ELECTRIC ELECT Chetan Maini receives The to make this happen. us great pride and hope because what was Economist Innovation Award from Paul Compton, CEO EMEA of ARPRO, award sponsor once just a dream is finally becoming a To be recognised publicly by such a reality.” Commuting cost: lean, without emitting a single molecule of harmful solution to power personal mobility for a green, lowest gases. sustainable future. We’re committed to the JAN 6TH 2012 AUTO EXPO NEW DELHI. At the accelerated development of new partnerships unveiling of the Next Generation Mahindra SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES We’re already and business models, the creating of a full Reva Concept vehicle at the Auto Expo, working on integrating a comprehensive ecosphere.” Anand Mahindra, Vice Chairman and M. D., eco-system of sustainable mobility solutions, Mahindra Group said, “Today, we usher in encompassing alternative technologies such as a new paradigm which will bear testimony electric, hybrid and fuel cells.” to our commitment to a cleaner environment on Planet Earth, and the mobility needs of The Indian government has initiated an tomorrow’s consumer.” accelerated program to find new solutions that will harness the opportunities for using For some time now, the Mahindra Group electrical energy from both conventional and has worked to find new solutions for urban renewable sources. mobility needs that will be clean, green and far more economical to customers for their This will allow public-private partnerships daily commutes. A first step is the NeXt to develop a networked EV charging grid Generation concept of electric vehicles (EV’s) for electric vehicles using the existing grid from Mahindra Reva. and standalone systems of renewable energy sources. Dr. Pawan Goenka, Pres. Automotive and Farm Sectors, Mahindra Group dramatically FAST, UNINTERRUPTED For instance, fast- put it in context: “Imagine travelling from charging technologies will allow battery Connaught Place to Delhi International charging in minutes, ensuring uninterrupted Airport for an energy cost of just Rs 10 in journeys. Also commenting at the unveiling, air-conditioned climate-controlled comfort and Chetan Maini, said, “EV’s will be the real Partnering for a Green Trobe and Swinburne and the fourth, a study Australia, to be commissioned by the Victorian Automotive Future of the potential for Mahindra Reva EV’s in government. FEB 23TH 2012. BOMMASANDRA. Our aim is always to broaden our commitment to producing non-polluting alternatives to conventional cars. A delegation from the state of Victoria, Australia led by Premier John Brumby was at Mahindra Reva for the announcing of four MoU’s. Three of these concern exploratory R&D collaborations ANNOUNCING THE MoU’s (from left) La Trobe University Vice Chancellor Prof. John Dewar, Victoria with leading Victorian universities such as La Premier The Hon. John Brumby, Chetan Maini and Swinburne Univ, VC Prof. Linda Kristjanson AEROSPACE & DEFENCE DIVISION APR 1ST 2011. To further leverage the Group’s material and people movement platforms for DEFENCE BASED At military bases, (above) a presence in a wide spectrum of engineering both civil and defence airfield-area operations. Dhruv helicopter is towed by a Maini battery- operated 8-ton tow tug and (below) a Maini products and capability segments, our battery-operated airfield cart demo is in Aerospace and Defence Division was Today, at commercial airports around India, progress instituted at the Group corporate level. MMM’s eco-friendly carts carry passengers With a nucleus team in place, this division both inside and outside the terminal, while spearheads the drive to leverage Group their electric tow tugs tow baggage trolleys on company products in aerospace and defence. the tarmac. Several key customer relationships in the defence services have been forged. For the defence forces, MMM has developed battery-operated carts with special features In tandem with MMM like FOD-free tyres, acceleration and speed It has extended technical domain support to settings and proximity warning systems that MMM’s indigenously-developed eco-friendly help enhance flight and maintenance safety. SIATI: Excellence awarded MAR 15TH 2012 SIATI ANNUAL CONVENTION, HYDERABAD. Acknowledgment for our contributions in design and manufacture of eco-friendly products for the civil and defence aerospace industry came from the Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries (SIATI): we received their Excellence in Aerospace Indigenization 2012 award. (From left) Shyam Chetty, Dir. NAL, Naresh Palta, MGA, S.A. Mohan, MMM, Dr. Krishnadas Nair, President SIATI and (behind) Wg Cdr (retd) R. Prahalad, A&D AIR SHOWING June 2011 Le Bourget, Paris. As it is each year, the Maini Group was present at the Paris Air Show. Attending on its behalf were MGA Chairman Dr. C.G. Krishnadas Nair and CEO Naresh Palta. As Mr. Palta said this was, “To grow partnership initiatives with aerospace leaders for a wider spread of aerospace manufacture and, even, design.” Many fruitful interactions later, a number of agreements and MOU’s with airframe and engine prime contractors and Tier 1’s were signed. EADS-Maini tech tie-up “Our new agreements underscore EADS’ “It’s a privilege and reckoning of MPP’s JUN 22ND 2011 LE BOURGET, PARIS.
Recommended publications
  • India: the Weakening of the Congress Stranglehold and the Productivity Shift in India
    ASARC Working Paper 2009/06 India: The Weakening of the Congress Stranglehold and the Productivity Shift in India Desh Gupta, University of Canberra Abstract This paper explains the complex of factors in the weakening of the Congress Party from the height of its power at the centre in 1984. They are connected with the rise of state and regional-based parties, the greater acceptability of BJP as an alternative in some of the states and at the Centre, and as a partner to some of the state-based parties, which are in competition with Congress. In addition, it demonstrates that even as the dominance of Congress has diminished, there have been substantial improvements in the economic performance and primary education enrolment. It is argued that V.P. Singh played an important role both in the diminishing of the Congress Party and in India’s improved economic performance. Competition between BJP and Congress has led to increased focus on improved governance. Congress improved its position in the 2009 Parliamentary elections and the reasons for this are briefly covered. But this does not guarantee an improved performance in the future. Whatever the outcomes of the future elections, India’s reforms are likely to continue and India’s economic future remains bright. Increased political contestability has increased focus on governance by Congress, BJP and even state-based and regional parties. This should ensure improved economic and outcomes and implementation of policies. JEL Classifications: O5, N4, M2, H6 Keywords: Indian Elections, Congress Party's Performance, Governance, Nutrition, Economic Efficiency, Productivity, Economic Reforms, Fiscal Consolidation Contact: [email protected] 1.
    [Show full text]
  • A Number of Decisions Made by the Rajiv Gandhi Government
    Back to the Future: The Congress Party’s Upset Victory in India’s 14th General Elections Introduction The outcome of India’s 14th General Elections, held in four phases between April 20 and May 10, 2004, was a big surprise to most election-watchers. The incumbent center-right National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had been expected to win comfortably--with some even speculating that the BJP could win a majority of the seats in parliament on its own. Instead, the NDA was soundly defeated by a center-left alliance led by the Indian National Congress or Congress Party. The Congress Party, which dominated Indian politics until the 1990s, had been written off by most observers but edged out the BJP to become the largest party in parliament for the first time since 1996.1 The result was not a complete surprise as opinion polls did show the tide turning against the NDA. While early polls forecast a landslide victory for the NDA, later ones suggested a narrow victory, and by the end, most exit polls predicted a “hung” parliament with both sides jockeying for support. As it turned out, the Congress-led alliance, which did not have a formal name, won 217 seats to the NDA’s 185, with the Congress itself winning 145 seats to the BJP’s 138. Although neither alliance won a majority in the 543-seat lower house of parliament (Lok Sabha) the Congress-led alliance was preferred by most of the remaining parties, especially the four-party communist-led Left Front, which won enough seats to guarantee a Congress government.2 Table 1: Summary of Results of 2004 General Elections in India.
    [Show full text]
  • Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India
    International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4158–4180 1932–8036/20170005 Fragile Hegemony: Modi, Social Media, and Competitive Electoral Populism in India SUBIR SINHA1 School of Oriental and African Studies, London, UK Direct and unmediated communication between the leader and the people defines and constitutes populism. I examine how social media, and communicative practices typical to it, function as sites and modes for constituting competing models of the leader, the people, and their relationship in contemporary Indian politics. Social media was mobilized for creating a parliamentary majority for Narendra Modi, who dominated this terrain and whose campaign mastered the use of different platforms to access and enroll diverse social groups into a winning coalition behind his claims to a “developmental sovereignty” ratified by “the people.” Following his victory, other parties and political formations have established substantial presence on these platforms. I examine emerging strategies of using social media to criticize and satirize Modi and offering alternative leader-people relations, thus democratizing social media. Practices of critique and its dissemination suggest the outlines of possible “counterpeople” available for enrollment in populism’s future forms. I conclude with remarks about the connection between activated citizens on social media and the fragility of hegemony in the domain of politics more generally. Keywords: Modi, populism, Twitter, WhatsApp, social media On January 24, 2017, India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), proudly tweeted that Narendra Modi, its iconic prime minister of India, had become “the world’s most followed leader on social media” (see Figure 1). Modi’s management of—and dominance over—media and social media was a key factor contributing to his convincing win in the 2014 general election, when he led his party to a parliamentary majority, winning 31% of the votes cast.
    [Show full text]
  • The Saffron Wave Meets the Silent Revolution: Why the Poor Vote for Hindu Nationalism in India
    THE SAFFRON WAVE MEETS THE SILENT REVOLUTION: WHY THE POOR VOTE FOR HINDU NATIONALISM IN INDIA A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by Tariq Thachil August 2009 © 2009 Tariq Thachil THE SAFFRON WAVE MEETS THE SILENT REVOLUTION: WHY THE POOR VOTE FOR HINDU NATIONALISM IN INDIA Tariq Thachil, Ph. D. Cornell University 2009 How do religious parties with historically elite support bases win the mass support required to succeed in democratic politics? This dissertation examines why the world’s largest such party, the upper-caste, Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has experienced variable success in wooing poor Hindu populations across India. Briefly, my research demonstrates that neither conventional clientelist techniques used by elite parties, nor strategies of ideological polarization favored by religious parties, explain the BJP’s pattern of success with poor Hindus. Instead the party has relied on the efforts of its ‘social service’ organizational affiliates in the broader Hindu nationalist movement. The dissertation articulates and tests several hypotheses about the efficacy of this organizational approach in forging party-voter linkages at the national, state, district, and individual level, employing a multi-level research design including a range of statistical and qualitative techniques of analysis. In doing so, the dissertation utilizes national and author-conducted local survey data, extensive interviews, and close observation of Hindu nationalist recruitment techniques collected over thirteen months of fieldwork. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH Tariq Thachil was born in New Delhi, India. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Stanford University in 2003.
    [Show full text]
  • Decision Soon on Caste-Based Census, Manmohan Singh Assures Lok Sabha
    Decision soon on caste-based census, Manmohan Singh assures Lok Sabha Vinay Kumar Mulayam, Lalu and Sharad Yadav welcome statement, meet Sonia and Pranab Manmohan Singh NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday assured the Lok Sabha that the government would soon take a decision on the Opposition demand for a caste-based census. “I am aware of the views of the Members of Parliament belonging to all sections. I assure you that the Cabinet will take a decision shortly,” Dr. Singh said in a brief statement. The statement put at ease agitated Opposition members, particularly Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad and Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav. The three leaders and other Opposition members were ruffled over Home Minister P. Chidambaram's reply to the debate on census. He said there were difficulties in conducting a caste-based census and the government would keep in mind the members' views. As soon as the Minister concluded his reply, which was punctuated by interruptions from the Opposition benches, and the House was adjourned to meet again at 2.30 p.m., the three leaders approached the Prime Minister, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee. They were seen talking to them, trying to elicit some kind of an assurance on their demand. They also held a meeting with Mr. Mukherjee separately, when BJP's deputy leader Gopinath Munde was also present. When Dr. Singh gave the assurance soon after the House reassembled, the three leaders thanked him and the Congress president for trying to resolve the matter in an amicable manner.
    [Show full text]
  • THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY AFTER the DYNASTY by CSABA NIKOLENYI B.A., Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1993
    THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS PARTY AFTER THE DYNASTY by CSABA NIKOLENYI B.A., Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1993 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Department of Political Science) We accept this thesis as conforming "to the requj,xg^ standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA September 1994 (c) Csaba Nikolenyi, 1994 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. (Signature) Department of ?o(Vfl"c^l ^C.i<i-^C^ The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date S^^t^kf !^,l^^h 11 ABSTRACT Rajiv Gandhi's violent death in May 1991 signalled the end of an entire era for the Congress Party: the long-lasting rule of the dynasty was over. Subsequent developments in the party have raised the question of change versus continuity. Has the end of the dynasty led to the birth of a new Congress, or will the dynastic party structures and organizational features continue into the post-Gandhi period? The argument that I will be advancing throughout the thesis is that structural continuity has characterized the organizational order of the party in its post- dynastic period.
    [Show full text]
  • Lucknow While Former SP MLA and For-     !  the Need for Open and Democ- to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Governor
    & 6 " ! * 7 7 7 +,$-+%./0 ()()* /-- +,-. ; '+"@+<(((# 5+<'+ ,-,+ 25'+"<2+ "2'-,')4(3 <-(+'<-)<+23+# #+-,#+,)# -+",5+#- 22+#=2>,'A 4,''+ '2+ B #(+ ,+/ "2-#+") -="2#+<+">,?+=3+"+ ' !*89 ++& 8 :+ 2 !+ "1 .1232.45.6 Q !" ## $ #%# R ! R # ) ')4(3 $% n a serious allegation 23"2'-, Ithat raised the polit- ical temperature in est Bengal's Governor Jagdeep Uttar Pradesh, AAP ! ! WDhankhar, who has been in the and Samajwadi Party news for his frequent run-ins with Chief leaders, in different Minister Mamata Banerjee, has six press conferences, lev- P Officers on Special Duty (OSD) while eled a sensational charge of financial irregular- Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra has ities in land purchase by the Ram Janmabhoomi "! 23"2'-, only one OSD. Trust, which was set up by the Centre for the #$ According to the websites of the dif- construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. ! rime Minister Narendra ferent State Governments, there are four AAP MP Sanjay Singh held a press confer- % ! PModi on Sunday stressed OSD to Bihar Governor and two OSDs ence in Lucknow while former SP MLA and for- ! the need for open and democ- to the Uttar Pradesh (UP) Governor. mer Minister Pawan Pandey addressed reporters ! ! ratic societies to work togeth- $ % $ && ' ( Similarly, Chhattisgarh and Odisha Bhawan, there is no OSD to Governor in Ayodhya. Ramjanmabhumi Tirth Kshetra er to defend the values they % ) *+ Governors have two OSDs each. Anandiben Patel. There is only one post Trust general secretary Champat Rai said that ! P hold dear and to respond to the The OSD is an officer in the Indian of OSD to Governor in Haryana which they will study the charges of land purchase " increasing global challenges.
    [Show full text]
  • Innuendo As Outreach: @Narendramodi and the Use of Political Irony on Twitter
    International Journal of Communication 11(2017), 4197–4218 1932–8036/20170005 Innuendo as Outreach: @narendramodi and the Use of Political Irony on Twitter JOYOJEET PAL PRIYANK CHANDRA PADMA CHIRUMAMILLA VAISHNAV KAMESWARAN ANDRE GONAWELA UDIT THAWANI PRITIKA DASGUPTA University of Michigan, USA Our analysis of tweets from @narendramodi demonstrates how the Indian prime minister used political irony, enacted through sarcasm and wordplay, to refashion his political style and practice into a more broadly appealing populist ethic. We deconstruct confrontational Twitter messages laced with innuendo to explore the use of language as a means of political self-representation. Modi’s use of irony provides a form of political spectacle and demonstrably resonates on social media, as quantified by the high retweeting of his sarcastically worded messages. We identify three rhetorical strategies in these tweets: (1) appeals to the base through the use of popular idiom, (2) creation of a shared cognitive environment to allow followers in on inside jokes and a means of affiliating with the leader, and (3) the performance of righteousness in underlining the leader’s use of wit and restraint. We argue that the use of political irony in these tweets must be seen as part of a longer-term performative effort to recast Modi’s political image from a regional strongman into a sophisticated communicator. Keywords: Twitter, India, Narendra Modi, sarcasm, irony, populism Narendra Modi has more than 35 million followers on Twitter and 43 million likes on Facebook, a combined tally greater than that of any other elected leader in the world.1 He has more direct social media Joyojeet Pal: [email protected] Priyank Chandra: [email protected] Padma Chirumamilla: [email protected] Vaishnav Kameswaran: [email protected] Andre Gonawela: [email protected] Udit Thawani: [email protected] Pritika Dasgupta: [email protected] Date submitted: 2016–12–05 Copyright © 2017 (Joyojeet Pal, Priyank Chandra, Padma Chirumamilla, Vaishnav Kameswaran, Andre Gonawela, and Pritika Dasgupta).
    [Show full text]
  • Abstract Deconstructing Glimpses of World History
    ABSTRACT DECONSTRUCTING GLIMPSES OF WORLD HISTORY: AN ANALYSIS OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU'S LETTERS TO HIS DAUGHTER by Michele L Langford This paper deconstructs Jawaharlal Nehru's extensive account of world history in the form of letters to his daughter, Indira. First published in 1934, Glimpses of World History remains an important resource in understanding the formative years of Nehru's perspective of world history and world politics. An analysis of Nehru's text contributes to growing field of scholarship concerned with the uses and approaches to world history. In addition, an analysis of influences on Nehru's construction of world history questions the traditional view that only British perspectives informed Nehru's ideas about the world. In conclusion, this paper suggests that Nehru's world history served as the premise to his key foreign policy initiative, nonalignment, once Nehru became prime minister of India in 1947. DECONSTRUCTING GLIMPSES OF WORLD HISTORY: AN ANALYSIS OF JAWAHARLAL NEHRU'S LETTERS TO HIS DAUGHTER A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Miami University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of History by Michele L. Langford Miami University Oxford, OH 2005 Advisor_______________________________________________ Dr. Judith P. Zinsser Reader________________________________________________ Dr. David Fahey Reader________________________________________________ Dr. Arpana Sircar I. Introduction A close reading of Jawaharlal Nehru's Glimpses of World History reveals the complexities of constructing and using world history. Written while in prison for nonviolent protests against the British Raj between the years 1930 and 1934, Nehru's historical narrative retold his version of world history in the form of short letters to his daughter, Indira.
    [Show full text]
  • Of Feroze Gandhi and Others out There Rajesh Singh, Visiting Fellow, VIF 11 Oct 2017
    Policies & Perspectives VIVEKANANDA INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION The ‘What Ifs’ of Feroze Gandhi and Others Out There Rajesh Singh, Visiting Fellow, VIF 11 Oct 2017 As one reads ‘Feroze the Forgotten Gandhi’, a recently published biography of Jawaharlal Nehru’s son-in-law and Indira Gandhi’s husband, authored by Swedish journalist Bertil Falk, many ‘What Ifs’ come to mind. What if Feroze Gandhi’s marriage had not failed? What if Feroze Gandhi had not been indifferently treated by Nehru and his family? What if he had not been cold-shouldered by his wife? What if he had lived longer and had a chance to realise his full potential? What if he had been around when Lal Bahadur Shastri, with whom he shared a close relationship, became the country’s Prime Minister? The ‘What If’ endeavour is admittedly an academic excursion which is indulged in, at leisurely moments. There is often little purpose behind the exercise but to weigh tantalising possibilities as against irreversible situations. And yet these possibilities offer not just a different roadmap but at times, a preferable one to that adopted as a consequence of circumstances. For instance, the ‘forgotten’ Gandhi would not have been so forgotten if Nehru had groomed him. Feroze Gandhi might even have been Nehru’s right-hand man — the way Indira Gandhi became. Had he lived longer, he may have occupied a ministerial position in Shastri’s Cabinet. And who knows, he could have played a key role in the choice of the next Prime Minister after Shastri’s untimely and sudden death. And even if Indira Gandhi had become Prime Minister, under his sobering influence — he was a democrat and a staunch federalist — she would probably not have imposed the Emergency.
    [Show full text]
  • Shake Things up a Little Bit US-Type Primaries to Choose a Potential Prime Ministerial Candidate for the Congress in the Coming Polls Is a Good Idea
    1/22/2014 Hindustan Times e-Paper Previous Story Next Story 17 Jan 2014 Hindustan Times (Indore) ABHIJIT BANERJEE Abhijit Banerjee is Ford Foundation International professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology The views by the author expressed are personal Shake things up a little bit US-type primaries to choose a potential prime ministerial candidate for the Congress in the coming polls is a good idea Ihad just turned my column for this month when I saw the headline Rahul eyes US-style primaries to pick ‘right’ Congress candidates ( Hindustan Times, January 13). I had been scooped. It turns out however that Rahul Gandhi was interested in primaries to select candidates for seats in Parliament, while I was more interested in whom the Congress would pick for the big job. In Rahul Gandhi the Congress has a leader, who, very unusually for India, at least for the time being, genuinely does not want to be in power. While I respect that, I worry that many of his partymen, whose political commitments tend to be linked to the spoils of power, may not. If they get too pessimistic about the party’s chances under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, I fear they will not wait long to abandon ship. It is rare that a party has an unchallenged leader who does not want to be nominated, which offers the great advantage that he can impose the primary on the party without worrying about what it means for his own prospects To make matters worse, it does not seem likely that he will be projected as the party’s prime ministerial candidate for the coming season.
    [Show full text]
  • The Congress Party As the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Indian State?
    The Congress Party as the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer of the Indian State? Jona Aravind Dohrmann Sons of Ind, why sit ye idle, Wait ye for some Deva’s aid? Buckle to, be up and doing! Nations by themselves are made! (Sir Allan Octavian Hume, “Awake”)1 1 Introduction The introductory titular deliberation whether the Congress Party or Indian National Congress (INC) could be revered to as the Creator, Preserver and (potential) De- stroyer of the Indian State shall hint at a possible viewpoint from which this party can be examined. Readers familiar with Indian religions and mythology may imme- diately identify the aforementioned characterisation of the INC as an allegory of the famous Trimurti.2 Before delving into the role of the INC through the past decades it is worthwhile to highlight Sir Allan Octavian Hume, who is the author of the „awak- ening“ and rousing poem framing this article. His feats mark a seizable starting point from which the Congress Party set out in its quest to become India’s most dazzling political party. Well aware of the fact that there is no dearth of writings on India’s eldest party this article shall simply attempt to shed light on the Indian National Congress’ impact on forming the Indian State. Thereby the term ‘State’ shall be understood the way the Indian Constitution designs the Indian Republic which is a 1 First stanza from poem by Sir A.O. Hume, taken from “The Old Man’s Hope” (Calcutta, 1886), cited in: Mehrotra 2005, p. 75. 2 The Trimurti or triad represents all aspects of the Supreme Being.
    [Show full text]