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inthisissue POLITY OPINION FACE TO FACE CONGRESS: LACKING DIRECTION, SOWING INTERVIEW CHARGÉ D’AFFAIRES OF THE CONFUSION p2 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TOGO p33 Few serious observers of the political scene will accept Sonia Asia News Agency interviewed H.E. Mr. Akakpo Koffi, Chargé Gandhi’s explanation that factionalism is responsible for the d'Affaires of the embassy of the Republic of Togo to discuss Congress’s poor showing in the recent elections. If this is... areas of bilateral interests between the two countries. Excerpts... INDIAN POLITICAL DEFENCE OPINION p8 MAINSTREAM p3 IT’S TIME TO MELT FROST IN STATE OF THE CONGRESS SIACHEN The death of about 140 With the Congress having suffered in the Pakistani army personnel in... recent assembly polls on account of... FOUNDING EDITOR Late Sh.F.C.Ahluwalia, M.A., C.I.S. DEFENCE AND SPACE SPECIAL FEATURE p14 Formerly News Editor, A.I.R. DIARY p9 ARMY: BATTLE FOR MANAGING DIRECTOR Jasreman Walia STRATEGY: DEFENCE PREPAREDNESS: CHANGE SENIOR EDITOR Amulya Ganguli ACTION NEEDED TO END CRITICAL General V K Singh, the Chief DEFICIENCIES of the Army Staff (COAS)... EDITOR Harjit Singh The Army Chief’s leaked letter to the Prime CONSULTING EDITOR: J. Mohan Malik Minister and the CAG’s recent report have... SPECIAL FEATURE p17 ASSOCIATE EDITORS Arjan Singh, Ved Parkash, INDIA AND ITS PRECISION WEAPONS IN AERIAL Kunal Walia, Karishma W Bhatia NEIGHBOURS p23 WARFARE ART DIRECTOR Nalini Malik INDIA-PAK ECONOMIC COOPERATION Precision in warfare has been a much sought after capability... GRAPHIC DESIGNING Surender Kumar, Krishna Kant MEET A two-day second Indo-Pak Economic SALES & MARKETING Daman Juneja alias Neetu Singh Conference, meeting of Indian and Pakistani... INTERNATIONAL OPINION p32 18, Amaltas Marg, DLF-I INDIA IN THE INTERNATIONAL US PRESSURE TO DOWNGRADE Gurgaon 122002 (Haryana) KALEIDOSCOPE p35 TIES WITH IRAN Phone: 0124-4003770, Fax: 0124-4003772 HILLARY CLINTON VISIT: ASKS INDIA Hillary Clinton’s visit under- Mobile: 9899200616 (Mrs. J. Walia), lines the fact the US is... 9810622100 (Ms. Neetu Singh), TO STOP IRANIAN OIL IMPORTS E-mail: [email protected], The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton [email protected], who came to India on a three-day visit,... [email protected] ECONOMY OPINION p42 INDIAN ECONOMIC BUDGET CORRECTION: RIGHT For any accounts related queries kindly mail to : [email protected] PANORAMA p43 SIGNAL TO FOREIGN BUDGET EFFECT: LOK SABHA PASSES INVESTORS! © Asia News Agency (P) Ltd. All rights reserved. This publication is for individual use and not for FINANCE BILL 2012-13 At a time when the govern- wider dissemination or use without the prior Concluding debate on the Finance Bill, ment is dragging its feet on... permission of Asia News Agency (P) Ltd. 2012 which was passed last week... News behind MAY 14, 2012 the News 1 indianpoliticalpoliticalmainstream mainstream polityopinion AMULYA GANGULI CONGRESS: LACKING DIRECTION, SOWING CONFUSION ew serious observers of the political weakness, especially in U.P., allegations of dysfunctional government has not only led scene will accept Sonia Gandhi’s corruption in Goa, and an arrogant local to a fall in investment, it has also disillusioned explanation that factionalism is leadership in Punjab. the electorate, which no longer feels that the Fresponsible for the Congress’s poor showing Congress is a party worth supporting. But, these are also not the main reasons. in the recent elections. If this is true, then The main cause is that the Congress has lost This wasn’t so in 2009 when a surge of the phenomenon denotes a failure of its elan, its sense of mission, its inspirational support took the Congress’s tally of leadership on Sonia’s part, for, evidently, she edge. And, this has been compounded by LokSabha seats beyond 200 and demoralized had not been able to eradicate this threat to the dynasty’s fading charisma. Neither Sonia the BJP. Behind the gains was the belief that the party’s prospects apparently because no nor Rahul has the popular appeal or the the government will at last be able to one listened to her. vision of even Indira and Rajiv, not to implement big ticket reforms since the Left That, in turn, denotes that she lacks the mention Jawaharlal Nehru. Indira was has been routed and some of the allies, like force of personality to root out groupism. described as Goddess Durga by AtalBehari the DMK, which earlier opposed Since the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has been Vajpayee after India helped Bangladesh win disinvestment, have been weakened. It was compared with a zamindari household, the its liberation in 1972, and Rajiv’s promise the belief that the country was now set on a squabbling lower down the line suggests that of taking the country into the 21st century new course of economic development, which the feudal dominance is weakening. enabled the Congress to secure a two-thirds boosted the Congress. The truth, however, is that factionalism majority in the LokSabha – 415 out of 543 But, if the brakes on reforms were earlier is not the “single most important reason”, as seats in 1984. In contrast, Sonia and Rahul being applied by the Left, they were now Sonia said, for the party’s failures. For a start, have not been able to forcefully articulate being pressed by the Sonia-led National such internal rifts have long been a part of their ideological outlook. Advisory Council with its left-oriented the Congress’s DNA. From the clashes What is worse, Sonia has sowed an members. As the NAC floated populist ideas, between the “extremist” BalgangadharTilak element of confusion about the economic of which the food security bill is one, and and the “moderate” Gopal Krishna Gokhale direction by favouring Soviet-style state seemingly inspired ministers like Jairam in 1907 to the confrontation between paternalism via essentially profligate Ramesh to block development projects in Mahatma Gandhi and Subhas Chandra Bose measures like the rural employment scheme, the name of protecting the environment, the in the 1940s to the tussle between Indira which creates no permanent assets, or the reforms process stalled. Gandhi and the so-called “syndicate” proposed food security bill which aims at The fallout is obvious. The economic comprising, among others, the so-called feeding more than 60 per cent of India’s one growth curve has slowed down and the party reactionary old guard, infighting has always billion people with subsidized grains. While is unable to move either in the direction of been a feature of the party’s functioning. the effect of such benevolence on the market-driven policies or return to the old In fact, during her heyday, Indira Gandhi exchequer will be disastrous, the mammoth ideas of a controlled economy. It is the was credited with encouraging factionalism task of procuring, storing and transporting clouded outlook which has disheartened the in the state units so that no one leader could such huge amounts of food will be an voters. As the Delhi municipal results acquire enough importance to challenge her. administrative nightmare. showed, the BJP was able to retain its The weakness of the present crop of Congress While Sonia does not seem to have any position despite a fall in its numbers of seats chief ministers has been seen as a legacy of idea of the fiscal and administrative problems and a rise in the Congress’s because the voters Indira’s devious tactics. which her utopian schemes will create, the could not vote wholeheartedly for the latter It isn’t factionalism, therefore, which can fact that her socialistic approach runs counter despite the good work done by Sheila be seriously blamed for the party’s electoral to the government’s pro-market outlook is Dikshit’s Delhi government to bring about setbacks. Instead, some of the more potent largely responsible for the present policy vast improvements in the national capital. causes are self-evident – organizational paralysis. The resultant impression of a Its finally perception that counts. News behind 2 the News MAY 14, 2012 coverstory indianpoliticalmainstream 3 STATE OF THE CONGRESS 4 60 YEARS OF INDIAN PARLIAMENT 6 POLITICAL NOTES SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION SECTION THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS IN IN IN IN IN STATE OF THE CONGRESS With the Congress having suffered in the recent assembly polls on account of bitter infighting and wrong policies, its president Sonia Gandhi this week sent a stern message to party cadres to present a “united face” as they prepare for the next round of elections over the next two years ahead of the 2014 general election. Addressing Congress MPs for the first time after the party’s dismal performance in the recent state polls, Sonia admitted that the results in Punjab and Goa were “very disappointing”. She urged partymen to draw lessons from these elections. Making a pointed reference to the internal strife in the party, she underlined, “We must shed all manner of factional behaviour and fight as one disciplined team Congress President Sonia Gandhi at all levels. This will be the single most important factor to decide whether we win Sonia remarked, “We increased our vote to support the government, was sharp in its or lose.” share quite considerably and were seen as a critique. The party, Sonia stated, has to show serious player for the first time in 22 years.” “Not one hard question, not one signal commitment and unity to convert people’s As demoralisation in the party ranks runs to ensure accountability, no indication of a sentiments into electoral victories. high and the UPA government comes under reshuffle, no message of a beleaguered government. Its hard for political parties to Her remarks come a few days after a increasing criticism for policy paralysis, the face up to truth after poll defeats, particularly three-member committee, headed by Congress president attempted to boost the in public, and there is little to be expected Defence Minister A.K.Antony, submitted a morale of workers and prepare them for the by way of thoughtful or actionable report to her on the party’s poor showing in next round of electoral battles.