10 DEMOCRACY AT WORK MUMBAI | 20 JANUARY 2019 1 >

Anxious ticket seekers DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT? CHECKLIST As election fever rises, so does the anxiety of ticket seekers. The Bharatiya (BJP) President Amit Shah was in hospital suffering from flu but even here, people GATHBANDHAN-MAKING: ALLIANCES IN THE PIPELINE wanting to press their claims for a BJP nomination in the simply would- Tamil Nadu: efforts are on to forge an alliance Ittehadul Muslimeen, YSR and others. n’t stop calling on him. The BJP is facing a funny kind of problem: Following between the (BJP) and the Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena has not yet indicate announcements by a handful of its senior leaders that they would not fight the Lok All Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam which way it will go Sabha elections, the party is besieged with people wanting to become their replace- (AIADMK), currently in power in the state. The : All the parties opposed to the BJP-Janata

CHATTERBOX ments. The problem is particularly acute in Uttarakhand where at least out of five BJP problem is, the BJP has had a past history of Dal United alliance have come out and formed an MPs — General BC Khanduri and BS Koshiyari — have said they will not contest the committing itself to a Kazhagangal illa alliance. JDU leader Nitish Kumar is dismissive 2019 elections. The same is the case with Vidisha represented by Sushma Swaraj and Tamizhagam (a Kazhagam-less Tamil Nadu). And about the front. Jhansi where Uma Bharati became an MP. Both have said they will opt out in 2019. the AIADMK is wary of letting the lotus bloom in : the Trinamool Congress has ruled In the Congress, the situation is a little different. The party spokesperson Priyanka the state at its expense. Moreover, in the past, the out an alliance with the Congress but has Chaturvedi has said she wants to contest from Mumbai. leader Ashok BJP has had alliances with the DMK as well. indicated it will be part of the . It has Chavan would prefer to fight the assembly elections and wants his wife to contest the However, talks are going on. also said its post-poll options will be open. Nanded Lok Sabha seat which, from all accounts, he has all but wrapped up, via a deal Andhra Pradesh and : a Federal Front, Maharashtra: Raju Shetty’s Swabhiman Paksha with the Majlis e Ittehad ul Muslimeen (MIM). And in Tamil Nadu, while Dravida a coalition of parties to keep out the Congress, BJP has walked out of the BJP alliance and has joined Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader Stalin might have crowned his par- “I may not agree with their thoughts but I and is being negotiated under the Congress Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ty’s choice for PM, the party is not in a mood to concede too many seats in the Lok Sabha. cannot help admiring their consistency and the leadership of K Chandrashekhar Rao. As the grouping. The Left is likely to join it as well. The But the upside is, former prime minister Manmohan Singh might get to represent Tamil commitment towards organisation building, BJP is a limited force in these two states, the presence of all these groups including the something those adhering to our socialist Nadu in the : An offer has been made, as his term as MP from Assam comes ideology never excelled at.” alliance will ultimately work against the Congress- Congress will restrict the maneuverability of the to an end next year. So expect a big upheaval but the bottom line is: the Congress which TDP combine and in favour of the BJP. The alliance NCP to jump ship even if it wants to, after the Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar about the RSS, was ruled out of all races as politically unbank-able has now entered the ring as well. January 15, Patna comprises smaller parties like the Majlis e elections.

OPINION How was your first meeting with the the first Muslim woman MP (Tabassum Hasan) (BSP) President from UP to the Lok Sabha in a long time. If the THERESA MAY Mayawati? What was the ice-breaker? leaders work together, the workers get the mes- It was very good because our goals are the sage and there’s no bitterness on the ground. same. This is the way we will win the elections. Should the UK Unlike your father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, Why didn’t you want the Congress in your who worked with Mayawati for some time gathbandhan? ILLUSTRATION: BINAY SINHA BINAY ILLUSTRATION: in a coalition government, you hardly We have left two seats (Amethi and Rae Bareli) remain a member knew her until now... for Congress. Congress should help us in the That’s not true. I know her as much as Netaji other seats. That’s the meaning of a maha- (Mulayam). She and I were MPs around the gathbandhan (grand alliance). of the EU? same time. I always respected her. The Congress can take away your votes, omorrow, Members of Parliament will cast their votes on The SP-BSP relations were terribly bitter. those of the minorities.... the Withdrawal Agreement on the terms of our depar- Did she ever bring up the State Guest Congress should think in the country’s interest T ture from the European Union and the Political House incident (of June 2, 1995) when she and decide who they want to help, the BJP or Declaration on our future relationship. was attacked by your party workers? our alliance. That vote in Westminster is a direct consequence of the No, never. votes that were cast by people here in Stoke, and in cities, But there’s still an element of distrust towns and villages in every corner of the United Kingdom. Was Mayawati different from how you’d among Muslims towards Mayawati In June 2016, the British people were asked by MPs to take imagined her to be? because of her past a decision: Should the United Kingdom remain a member of Not at all. She’s as committed to dealings with the BJP. the European Union or should we leave? upholding democracy as I am, This is BJP’s disinformation. In that campaign, both sides disagreed on many things, but she is as committed to our Now SP and BSP are seen on the on one thing they were united: what the British people decid- alliance as I am. It was a good same platform, so how can any- ed, the politicians would implement. political decision on her part one distrust BSP? And she In the run-up to the vote, the government sent a leaflet to and the country has welcomed (Mayawati) has sacrificed so every household making the case for remain. It stated very it. Both of us felt the people’s many seats to save democracy clearly: ‘This is your decision. The government will imple- pulse and responded accord- from the BJP. ment what you decide.’ ingly. Those were the terms on which people cast their votes. President, In the presser you If a majority had backed remain, the UK would have con- What is the USP of your addressed with Mayawati, tinued as an EU member state. gathbandhan? The BJP is you diplomatically No doubt the disagreements would have continued too, still strong in UP, the upper parried a question on but the vast majority of people would have had no truck with Akhilesh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party president, was the fulcrum of an Opposition coalition in Uttar castes are rallying around I don’t know how some whether you want to see an argument that we should leave the EU in spite of a vote to Pradesh put together to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party. The gathbandhan includes the it.. political experts are saying Mayawati as the next PM. remain or that we should return to the question in another ref- Bahujan Samaj Party and smaller entities representing castes and the minorities but excludes the The USP is, both of us are pro- they (BJP) will return with The PM can be from any- erendum. Congress. Radhika Ramaseshan met Yadav at his Lucknow office and spoke about the prospects of development, pro-growth and 74 seats, one more than where. But I will be happiest On the rare occasions when Parliament puts a question to this gathbandhan and whether the Congress could be a part of it in the future. Edited excerpts: pro-infrastructure. How can the what they got in 2014. The if the PM is from UP. UP is the British people directly we have always understood that their BJP dub us as backward? Don’t UP government has done spearheading the battle to response carries a profound significance. the backward castes use the nothing but shilanyas on stop the BJP from coming to When the people of Wales voted by a margin of 0.3%, on a metro rail? Are there separate top of an earlier shilanyas power so the next PM must turnout of just over 50%, to endorse the creation of the Welsh seating arrangements for the (foundation-laying). This is be from UP. Assembly, that result was accepted by Parliament. ‘Federal front can backward castes? I don’t have unprecedented in the Indeed we have never had a referendum in the United to prove my commitment to world. Our chief minister Do you think the “federal Kingdom that we have not honoured the result of. growth to the BJP or anyone. and prime minister are re- front” is becoming a Parliament understood this fact when it voted over- Take the -Lucknow inaugurating the projects I reality? whelmingly to trigger Article 50. Expressway. I completed 340 started. At least change Change is necessary. Since And both major parties did so too when they stood on elec- become a reality’ km in my time, the BJP added some technical details to Independence, for a long tion manifestos in 2017 that pledged to honour the result of the only 160 km. Yet the BJP keep UP’s izzat after it gave time, there was a one pit referendum. Yet, as we have seen over the last few weeks, claimed ownership over the you so many MPs. latrine. May be under the there are some in Westminster who would wish to delay or even You have been described as the initiator lined up for hours, even days, before banks lost project. BJP you have a two pit stop Brexit and who will use every device available to them to and the pivot of the UP gathbandhan. their lives but the Centre wasn’t remorseful. latrine. But the Congress do so. I ask them to consider the consequences of their actions What were your compulsions in putting Traders were ruined. Where are the jobs? The But you must have had to convince your and the BJP could never install water tanks on the faith of the British people in our democracy. the coalition together? next government has a tough task on hand -- party workers who’ve fought the BSP for and flushes for the poor. So I am saying, you The House of Commons did not say to the people of Trust me, there were no compulsions. I am fight- putting the economy back on track. many years. Wasn’t that tough? just cannot have two poles, the Congress and Scotland or Wales that despite voting in favour of a devolved ing to keep democracy. For the past five years, The leaders and party workers think alike about the BJP, and keep the poor in thrall to them. legislature, Parliament knew better and would over-rule them. democratic institutions have been attacked. Of Yet, the BJP is confident of returning, of the alliance on both sides. When the SP and To give you another example. When I was the Or else force them to vote again. course, earlier the Congress governments did even repeating its previous Lok Sabha BSP fought the Gorakhpur and Phulpur by- CM, the Centre never released enough funds What if we found ourselves in a situation where Parliament it, and now the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). showing in UP.... polls together (March 2018), our workers from to complete the GT Road from Araul (Kanpur tried to take the UK out of the EU in opposition to a remain The BJP showed many dreams in the name of Forget the BJP, I don’t know how some polit- the neighbouring districts came out in strength district) to Champaran. vote? acche din (good days) but these have not been ical experts are saying they will return with 74 to make our candidates win. If the workers Had the project been given to me, I would People’s faith in the democratic process and their politicians realised. Our economic growth has been hit, the seats, one more than what they got in 2014. were upset about my understanding with the have completed it. This is why a central gov- would suffer catastrophic harm. country has regressed. If I fight for growth, the The UP government has done nothing but BSP, would they come out? When we nomi- ernment consisting of regional parties will We all have a duty to implement the result of the referen- BJP brands me as a backward who has no busi- shilanyas on top of an earlier shilanyas (foun- nated a person from the Nishad party in work better for the individual states. The dum. Ever since I reached an agreement with the EU on a ness to speak on economic issues. dation-laying). This is unprecedented in the Gorakhpur, my only condition was he should regional parties are doing good work, Withdrawal Agreement and declaration on our future rela- On November 8 (2016, when bank notes were world. Our chief minister and prime minister fight on the SP’s symbol. Things always fall in Mamata ji (Banerjee), KCR, Odisha, Tamil tionship I have argued that the consequences of Parliament demonetised), I stated it will not help because are re-inaugurating the projects I started. At place. In the Kairana by-poll (May 2018), I told Nadu, I, ran good schemes. A federal front rejecting it would be grave uncertainty - potentially leading to rupee can’t change its colour, the system has to least change some technical details to keep Jayant (the RLD leader), field my candidate on can become a reality but the Congress one of two outcomes. change its colour. I stand by it. People who UP’s izzat after it gave you so many MPs. your symbol and he agreed. Together, we gave should help. Either a ‘no deal’ Brexit, that would cause turbulence for our economy, create barriers to security cooperation and disrupt people’s daily lives. Or the risk of no Brexit at all – for the first time in our his- tory failing to implement the outcome of a statutory referen- dum and letting the British people down. Community for women, by a woman These alternatives both remain in play if the deal is reject- ed. There are differing views on the threat that a no deal exit poses. I have always believed that while we could ultimately SheThePeople.tv gives a platform to women to tell their stories of courage and inspiration, and build a make a success of no deal, it would cause significant disruption in the short term and it would be far better to leave with a good community for themselves, writes Sneha Bhattacharjee deal. Others in the House of Commons take a different view and regard no deal as the ultimate threat to be avoided at all ost graduate degree holder Rohini were stories but all were either of the same lot, costs. To those people I say this: the only ways to guarantee we Shirke from Satara was married to or those that had been long heard about,” she do not leave without a deal are: to abandon Brexit, betraying the P someone who wasn’t even a graduate. says. Thus was born SheThePeople.tv — a dig- vote of the British people; or to leave with a deal, and the only Shirke was coaxed to be a homemaker. ital storytelling platform for women, dedicated deal on the table is the one MPs will vote on tomorrow night. However, instead of sitting back, she first to passionately championing and promoting You can take no deal off the table by voting for that deal. encouraged her husband to dream big and their journeys. With the aim to empower, And if no deal is a bad as you believe it is, it would be the take a job outside the village and then utilised engage and elevate, as well as connect the height of recklessness to do anything else. internet to her advantage. She learnt bee- women to an amazing network that inspires But while no deal remains a serious risk, having observed keeping that was a primary occupation in the and grows each other’s efforts, the platform events at Westminster over the last seven days, it is now my village she lived in. However, she had no idea aims to engage with everyday women — from judgment that the more likely outcome is a paralysis in about how to market it. It was through inter- leaders, game changers, board members, exec- Parliament that risks there being no Brexit. net that she learnt how to source bottles for utives, sportspersons and more. That makes it even more important that MPs consider very safe keeping honey and then selling them to With over 50,000 stories told on the plat- carefully how they will vote tomorrow night. people. The girl now sells natural honey on form, it has been an exhilarating and at the As I have said many times – the deal we have agreed is Amazon as well as takes orders same time an enriching journey for worthy of support for what it achieves for the British people. on phone. That is the power of Chopra. “Personally, I felt inspired Immigration policy back in the hands of people you elect – digital where one can be anony- seeing women who have built their so we can build a system based around the skills people have mous and at the same time show- careers while being young mothers,” to offer this country, not where they come from, and bring the case one’s talent to the world by says Chopra, adding how important it overall numbers down. Sovereign control of our borders. learning from the same channel, is to encourage such women all the Decisions about how to spend the money you pay in taxes says journalist turned entrepre- more to take on the challenge of rais- back under the control of people you elect – so we can spend neur, Shaili Chopra, founder, ing a child as well as aiming high at the vast annual sums we send to Brussels as we chose, on pri- SheThePeople.tv. work. orities like our long-term plan for the NHS. Sovereign control It was the data — “there are THE OTHER It was Chopra’s research on her of our money. 600 million women in India, book, The Big Connect: Politics in the WOMEN POWER Shaili Chopra’s research on her book, The Big Connect: Politics in the Age of No one else has put forward an alternative which does this. which is 9 per cent of the global INDIA Age of Social Media, that made her Social Media, made her realise the importance of how social media is playing a key role in Compare that outcome to the alternatives of no deal or no population” — that prompted realise the importance of how social empowering the women of today Brexit. With no deal we would have: no implementation peri- Chopra to create a space for media is playing a key role in od, no security co-operation, no guarantees for UK citizens women to speak. In her 18-year long career empowering the women of today. “She can both English as well as Hindi is written anew the founder feels need to be talked about at overseas, no certainty for businesses and workers here in Stoke spanning business journalism, data was all be anonymous. She can be under a pseudo and not merely translated, says Chopra. She length. and across the UK, and changes to everyday life in Northern that Chopra breathed, wrote and read about. name. She can just be herself. She can start also plans to include more video content on the Chopra also plans to generate content for Ireland that would put the future of our Union at risk. And, when the very data showed an imbal- her own page. Create her own business,” she platform by hosting studio-driven pro- women travellers so they can travel in India And with no Brexit, as I have said, we would risk a subver- ance in the number of women voices, Chopra adds stressing how internet has offered an grammes. One example of such content is and get all the information they need about the sion of the democratic process. thought it was about time there was a space for answer to the knowledge a woman possesses. “Women & the Vote” show, which has been country at one place. all women — be it rural, urban or semi-urban. The website, SheThePeople.tv, is currently launched with the general elections in mind, Chopra surely has big plans in the pipeline Edited excerpts from British Prime Minister Theresa May’s speech on “Till a couple of years back, how many bilingual — English and Hindi — and is all set where they discuss at length issues that matter and with women as her focus, she is hoping to Brexit at Stoke-on-Trent, January 14 women would you see on the covers of maga- to expand to four more languages — Bengali, to the women in the country. There is also non- build a community bustling with stories of zines? Or read stories about? Of course, there Tamil, Kannada, and Marathi. The content for branded content on health and hygiene that inspiration, courage and daredevilry. OPINION 11 > Volume XII Number 45 MUMBAI | 20 JANUARY 2019

the first Test in Cape Town, there weren’t did show resilience and not only managed Brisbane in November last year for the first many who gave them much of a chance. to win the last Test but also beat the Proteas T-20, India had a wide array of effective Thunder down under Indeed, with back-to-back away tours in in the ODIs and T-20s. bowlers to choose from — both in the fast South Africa, England, and Australia lined Yet, by the time India reached England, and spin categories. Moreover, Australia was Kohli’s team shows it can dominate away from India up, Kohli’s very future as Test captain was its claim as the world’s number one Test side struggling to come to terms with the eviction at stake. In fact, Kohli took over from M S sounded hollow. Indeed, poor team selection of their captain (Steven Smith) and vice-cap- t has been a momentous tour for the game after game, format after format — is Dhoni when the team lost one away series and complete lack of application in batting tain (David Warner), who were also their bat- men in blue, who have traditionally unheard of. Indeed, this is the first Indian after another despite having a stellar record meant that India had no room to hide in the ting backbone, in the wake of the Sandpaper- been formidable at home and fragile team to have won a Test series in Australia, back home. Paper tigers, flat-track bullies five-Test series. Eventually, India was humil- gate episode. The only thing missing for Iabroad, as they completed an unprece- which had lost at home just six times in the etc. were beginning to look like well- iated with a 1-4 loss against an English side India was a consistent batting order. And dented display across formats against the past 30 years. Even India’s golden generation deserved epithets. To be sure, after losing that struggled to bat itself. By the end of the this is where Cheteshwar Pujara and new Australian cricket team. Former Australian of batting legends featuring the likes of the first two Tests (and with that the series) series, Coach Ravi Shastri was beginning to entrants such as Mayank Agarwal and captain Michael Clarke admitted that even Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, V V S in South Africa, many of those fears were sound preposterous with claims that Kohli’s Rishabh Pant stepped up to show they the final scoreline — a 2-1 victory in Tests, 2- Laxman and Virender Sehwag and led by reinforced. While India had some promis- team was the best to tour England in the belonged. Led by indefatigable Kohli, India 1 victory in ODI and a drawn (1-1) T-20 series the fearless Sourav Ganguly could not clinch ing fast bowlers especially with Jaspreet past 15 years. Yet, even in the face of reced- out-batted and out-bowled the Aussies in — did not capture the extent to which India the deal in Australia. Bumrah’s debut, it was its inconsistent and ing support, Shastri maintained that in this their own backyard. The team now travels to dominated the hosts. Rain probably saved What makes India’s heroics in unsettled batting that was the main rea- team “there is no negative bone in the body” New Zealand and even though they only the Aussies from losing the T-20 series, and Australia all the more remarkable is the son for failure. In three Tests in South and that it will endeavour to be the best trav- play ODIs and T-20s, it should hopefully do from losing the Tests by an even higher mar- fact that exactly a year ago when the Virat Africa, Indian batters managed to cross the elling side of the world. an encore and prove that its domination in gin (3-1). Australia being dwarfed like this — Kohli-led team started its away tours with 300-run mark just once. However, India To be sure, by the time India reached Australia wasn’t just a one-off miracle. Damning HAL will get us nowhere China’s military: The Wisdom lies in giving Hindustan Aeronautics every encouragement. The Air Force should work closely with shape of things to come it, just as the Navy does with public sector ship-building enterprises HARSH V PANT ority in emerging great power competi- tion.The US Navy continues to conduct arlier this month, at a meeting of freedom of navigation exercises in the top officials of the Central Military South China Sea region. ECommission (CMC), which he The Chinese response is getting heads, Chinese President Xi Jinping shriller, with Beijing revoking permission ordered the People’s Liberation Army for a US warship to visit Hong Kong and (PLA) to be ready for battle, as the country recalling its key naval official from in his opinion faces unprecedented risks Washington. China has taken strong and challenges. He said “all military units exception to US sanctions on its buying of must correctly understand major nation- weapons from Russia and Washington’s al security and development trends, and stepped-up rhetoric on Taiwan. Recently, strengthen their sense of unexpected Mr Xi called on Taiwan to reject moves hardship, crisis and battle.” towards formal independence and Underlining that “the world is facing a embrace “peaceful reunification” with period of major changes never seen in a his country, in line with the concept of century, and China is still in an important “one country, two systems” used in Hong period of strategic opportunity for devel- Kong when China regained sovereignty opment,” Mr Xi stressed the need to focus over the city from the UK in 1997. Mr Xi on combat research, advance work in all did not rule out using military force to areas and accelerate the development of take Taiwan. strong and efficient “joint-operation com- The Chinese leader has in the past manding institutions for theatre com- vowed not to cede “a single inch of our mands to comprehensively boost the mil- motherland”, and has increased military itary’s battle-winning ability.” exercises around Taiwan. Taiwanese Mr Xi also signed a mobilisation order President Tsai Ing-wen rejected Mr Xi’s for the training of the armed forces, the “one country, two systems” suggestion out- CMC’s first order of the year, which right, underlining that Taiwan’s priorities requires all units of the PLA “to welcome in 2019 include protecting its democracy the 70th anniversary of the founding of and safeguarding its sovereignty, in addi- the People’s Republic of China with ‘excel- tion to improving people’s livelihoods. lent performance’.” In the face of an economic downturn The light combat aircraft being assembled at HAL Bengaluru. The pace of delivery is slow, and the Air Force also does not accept it as fully combat-worthy Mr Xi has been a great back home and growing enthusiast for the Chinese With China aiming pressures abroad, Mr Xi is PREMVIR DAS change was successfully made. of Gnats, Jaguars, Mirages, MIGs and Sukhois with pro- military’s proactiveness, and to develop a using military rhetoric to While the third of this line was under construction, gressively increasing sophistication is looked down ever since assuming office, “world-class” shore up his credibility in n the context of the Rafale purchase, a collateral vic- it was felt that there was need for such ships to embark upon, while others do not face the same distrust? The has been pushing the PLA to military by 2050 the eyes of his domestic con- tim has been our largest defence public sector under- heavier and larger anti-submarine helicopters, necessi- answer lies in the close interface and involvement of the boost its combat-readiness. that can fight and stituencies. But it is also a Itaking (PSU), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). tating an increase in size and weight, and this is how the user (or the lack of it) with the PSU charged to meet its He told the Communist win wars across all fact that China’s military The ministry of defence has little difficulty in paying for- heavier fifth and sixth ships came. Then, even as the fifth own needs. The Navy, from the very beginning, has par- Party’s 19th Party Congress theatres, Indian modernisation is beginning eign manufacturers on dates specified in contracts even was on the slipway, it was found necessary to have not ticipated much more proactively with MDL, BEL, et al, in 2017 that China will com- conventional and to pay dividends, with the for equipment yet to be supplied, but has no issue in one but two such helicopters, which meant a further and accepted limitations inherent in their productivity plete the modernisation of its nuclear thinking gap between the US and delaying similar payments for supplies already made by increase in the size of the next three ships. This brought than has the Air Force. armed forces by 2035, and will also have Chinese militaries getting their own PSU. us the Godavari at 4000 tonnes, about 800 tonnes heav- And, even as a few ships have been purchased from achieve a “world-class” mili- to evolve narrower. HAL is possibly one of our earliest PSUs, leaving aside ier and 80 feet longer than the Nilgiri, all within the outside, the focus has always been on indigenous manu- tary by 2050, that can fight While the US Navy the Ordnance factories. From producing the little Gnat in space of a decade. facture or Make in India. Most importantly, the Navy, fr- and win wars across all theatres. remains technically more advanced, the the 1960s to the Sukhois fifty years later has been no Since then, MDL has moved on to the Delhi class om the earliest days, decided to have the design function Last year Mr Xi ordered the military PLA Navy (PLAN) is catching up. New mean achievement. It has the distinction of designing destroyers followed by Shivalik class frigates and integrated in its headquarters and the strength of this de- region responsible for monitoring the stealth fighters and long-range bombers and manufacturing the first Indian fighter aircraft, the class heavier destroyers. Admittedly, some ships were signer fraternity, all in naval uniform and recruited from South China Sea and Taiwan to assess the have been brought into service and HF-24, in its earliest years; how that project crash-land- delayed, but there was never an Indian technological institutes, has grown from a mere situation it is facing, and boost its capa- Chinese warships are gearing up with ed is another story. Since then, it has manufactured a vari- Instead of instance in which MDL was not dozen-odd to several hundred in the last sixty years. bilities so it can handle any emergency. It advanced radars and control systems. ety of aircraft and helicopters for the Indian Air Force — enhancing HAL’s supported; the Navy considered This process has been neither easy nor quick, but has been reported that about two million Earlier this month, China showcased a British, French and Russian — albeit under licence. capabilities, no them as part of the learning there was a realisation that generating expertise would personnel were involved in more than new type of massive aerial bomb as its For over two decades now it has, under the aegis of effort is spared curve. In this same time, it groo- be slow but, hopefully, steady. The experience with pri- 18,000 mostly small-scale exercises in response to America’s “Mother of All the Defence Research and Development Organisation in deriding it, med another PSU, Garden Reach vate sector companies, even the better-known and big- 2018, compared to just 100 such exercis- Bombs”, the most powerful non-nuclear (DRDO), been involved in the design and production of most recently by Shipyard and Engineers (GRSE) ger ones, such as the Birla and Reliance groups, has es in 2016. weapon. The Chinese weapon is said to be our own Indian fighter, commonly known as the LCA. denying it the to start building major warships, shown that manufacturing skills for military platforms For Mr Xi and China, military mod- smaller and lighter than the American Though very few of them are accepted by the IAF as ful- option of which has led to that PSU being do not come in a sprint. Larsen and Toubro is an excep- ernisation is top priority as the interna- version. China is moving rapidly, emerg- ly combat-worthy, and the pace of delivery is not up to manufacturing earmarked to build three new tion, largely through its close interface with serving and tional environment enters uncharted ing as a frontline state in cutting-edge expectations, the fact is that the LCA makes India one of Rafale aircraft frigates alongside four by MDL. former naval personnel. The Air Force has no design waters. But more than that, it’s the effective defence technologies, which will have fewer than ten countries in the world that can design and in India It is another matter that a cadre or expertise of its own. integration of force into foreign policy- grave implications for the technological make such aircraft. Yet, instead of taking every step to third yard has been nurtured, Since privatisation, the ongoing mantra, is not going making that is now becoming the norm, balance of global power. enhance its capabilities and capacities, no effort is called Goa Shipyard (GSL), which has graduated from to come HAL’s way — the example of Air India stares us and is a cause of concern for other states. Indian military modernisation is spared in deriding HAL in every possible way — most building smaller warships to one putting out more capa- in the face — wisdom lies in supporting this PSU and giv- Tensions between the US and China are also progressing but moving in fits and recently, by denying it the option of manufacturing ble ocean-going warships. On another plane, a PSU is ing it every encouragement and support. Bouquets for gathering pace and show no sign of abat- starts. A cohesive strategy is still not vis- Rafale aircraft in India along with purchases of some building our first aircraft carrier at Kochi, even if at not the work being done rather than brickbats for the neg- ing. The Donald Trump Administration is ible, especially in the context of chal- from France. good-enough speed. Sadly, plans to build submarines in atives should be the norm and for this the Air Force, even not letting up the pressure it has mounted lenges that China is posing from across Let us compare this with the progress of another India have suffered a penalty of two decades owing to more than the defence ministry, should take responsi- on Beijing, with US Vice-President Mike the border. As global military thinking defence PSU, Mazagon Docks Limited (MDL), which corruption allegations of earlier years which have yet to bility. For a Navratna PSU to have to resort to bank loans Pence charging recently: “Using that stolen rapidly undergoes a shift, Indian con- caters to the needs of the Navy. Its foray in the produc- be proved and for which MDL has no responsibility. to pay its employees must surely been seen as a slap in technology, the Chinese Communist Party ventional and nuclear thinking will also tion of major warships began in the mid-1960s with the Other defence PSUs — Bharat Electronics Limited the face, not so much for HAL as for those for whom it is turning ploughshares into swords on a have to evolve. Old certitudes will no building of a Leander class frigate of British design and and Bharat Dynamics Limited, to name only two — exists. Demolishing it will get us nowhere. massive scale.” longer apply. with weapons, sensors and machinery from the same face no such disapprobation. It is not that they have Acting US Secretary of Defence source. Even as the first ship was being built, the Navy not seen delays, but these have often been for reasons The writer is a former Director General, Defence Planning Patrick Shanahan told the US military The writer is Professor of International was already making plans to replace important sensors beyond their control. Staff, and has also served as member in the National Security leadership to remember “China, China, Relations, Department of Defence Studies, in three follow-on ships to a Dutch source, and this Why is it that a PSU which has turned out hundreds Advisory Board China,” singling out Beijing as a key pri- King’s College London

> OTHER VIEWS SC collegium decisions must Federal imbalance State fighting its own people have institutional sanctity States should be free to pick DGPs Sedition law is used indiscriminately Retirement of one judge should not be The Supreme Court’s direc- state government, which The law against sedition was others, a few from Kashmir, tive that the states must does it through the police formulated by India’s imperi- accused of supporting terror- a reason for revoking a decision select their police chiefs machinery. Voters penalise al rulers to keep their subjects ists and raising “anti-India” from a list of officers empan- the state government if it under control. It does not say slogans at a meeting in Former Chief Justices of India, a sitting Supreme Court judge, elled by the Union Public fails to enforce law and order. much about successive elect- Jawaharlal Nehru University and the Bar Council of India have taken exception to the col- Service Commission is The involvement of the ed governments in independ- almost three years ago. Hiren legium's unusual action of revisiting decisions made at an ear- against the federal principles UPSC, whose members are ent India that this law, Gohain, the well-known lier meeting, and recommending the elevation to the apex outlined in the Constitution. appointed by the Union gov- enshrined in Section 124A of writer and critic, was charged court of Justice Dinesh Maheshwari and Justice Sanjiv Public order is exclusively a ernment, allows the Centre the Indian Penal Code, con- with sedition with two other Khanna, instead of two judges whose names had been con- state subject and hence, the to have a foothold in what is tinues to exist unchanged, activists in Assam last week sidered earlier. The official reasons are in the public domain appointment of the Director clearly a domain of the although Britain withdrew its for protesting against the citi- in the form of a resolution on January 10. It claims that even General of Police (DGP) states. The SC has said the own law against sedition in zenship amendment bill, 2016 though some decisions were made on December 12, "the should be left to the discre- choice of a DGP has to be 1977. Since the phrasing of that is based on sectarian dis- required consultations could not be undertaken and com- tion of the state govern- made “on the basis of their Section 124A is vague enough crimination. The profiles of pleted" in view of the winter vacation. When the collegium ments. The SC, however, on length of service, very good to allow the State to arrest any- those charged indicate the met again on January 5/6, its composition had changed fol- Wednesday dismissed appli- record and range of experi- one expressing criticism of type of people which govern- lowing the retirement of Justice Madan B Lokur. It was then cations by five states that ence for heading the police and dissent with the govern- ments, usually led by the decided that it would be “appropriate” to have a fresh look at had sought a modification of force”. A state government, ment, the Supreme Court Bharatiya Janata Party, wish the matter, as well as the “additional material”. the Court’s order in July last surely, could be trusted to made clear in 1962 that with- to muffle. In 2014, 55 people The only rationale for the names of Rajasthan High Court system has once again been called into question. The recent year, where it had reiterated make this choice, especially out inciting violence against were arrested for sedition, in Chief Justice Pradeep Nandrajog and Delhi High Court Chief practice of making public all resolutions of the collegium has the directives issued in since the police force, the State, no one can be con- 2015, 73 and in 2016, 33. Such Justice Rajendra Menon being left out is the claim that new brought in some transparency. Yet, the impression that it Prakash Singh and others vs including the officers, serves sidered seditious. lawless use of the law is truly material had surfaced. Can the retirement of one judge be a works in mysterious ways refuses to go away. Union of India & others in under it. Sedition charges have now dangerous. ground to withdraw a considered decision, even if some con- 2006. The responsibility of been framed against The Hindu, January 18 The Indian Express, January 18 Kanhaiya Kumar and nine The Telegraph, January 18