Cover Story WHAT LIES BENEATH? the Part of Vohra Committee Report That Was Never Made Public May Throw New Lights on the Politician-Criminal Nexus

Vol: 29 | No. 4 | April 2021| R20

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Cover Story WHAT LIES BENEATH? The part of Vohra Committee report that was never made public may throw new lights on the politician-criminal nexus

editorial Focus is back on Vohra RNI UPENG01809 Volume 29, No 4 EDITOR Prashant Tewari committee report Associate Editor Dr Rahul Misra any political leaders, who were in influential positions in Maharashtra Political Editor and Gujarat in the 1990s had developed close relations with under- Prakhar Misra Mworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his henchman Iqbal Mirchi. This as- BUREAU CHIEF sertion was officially put down on paper when the N.N. Vohra committee sub- Anshuman Dogra (DELHI), Diwakar Shetty mitted its report to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 5 October 1993, (MUMBAI), Sidhartha Sharma (KOLKATA), roughly three months after it was established on 9 July 1993 in the aftermath Lakshmi Devi (BANGALORE ) DIvyash Bajpai of the 12 March 1993 Bombay bomb blasts. While the contents of the report, (USA), KAPIL DUDAKIA (UNITED KINGDOM) that was subsequently made public on 1 August 1995 in Rajiv Agnihotri (MAURITIUS), Romil Raj Bhagat (DUBAI), Herman Silochan (CANADA), Parliament, were only limited to 11 pages, it is a part of the Dr Shiv Kumar (AUS/NZ), Nithya Ramesh government’s own records that the finding of the report, (Fashion & Entertainment ) in total, was close to 100 pages.It is these 100 pages that Principle Correspondent were never made public, that have now become relevant, Shakila Makandar almost 26 years after they were brought into existence, af- Content partner ter Union Home Minister Amit Shah highlighted the issue The Pioneer on the floor of the parliament. The 100 pages annexures, Pratham Pravakta which are the most vital part of the report, as, according to Legal Advisors old Intelligence Bureau (IB) hands, it contains the names Vishnu Sharma Adv of leading politicians and bureaucrats who were the key Vijai Krishna Adv players who helped Dawood and Mirchi from the 1970s till 1993 and beyond. Advertisement / Marketing Director However, there is strong hope among former Intelligence officials that the Diwakar Shetty present dispensation at North Block will now be able to gather the courage to Gopal Chopra make 100 pages of the report public, especially with Amit Shah now raking up Administrative Director the issue of the connections between politicians and Dawood. The matter has Amit Pandey taken a serious turn in the present context when Pakistan is using Dawood & Bal Mukund Gaur Co extensively to sabotage the progress of India. The terror attacks, gold smug- Corporate Communication / PR gling, drug trafficking, money laundering is extensively pushed by Dawood net- Sanjay Mendiratta work to weaken the Indian state on the behest of hostile neighbor Pakistan, M M Upadhaya proxy controlled by China. Graphics & Design The growth of Dawood and Mirchi was due to the fact that the concerned Writeword Commuications (Studio 8) enforcement agencies did not timely take action against him and, later, this per- Photographer haps became difficult on account of the enormous patronage that he had devel- Ratan Shukla oped. MHA was given all kinds of information, in volumes of pages, which were Overseas Marketing ‘ultra-sensitive’ in nature. This information clearly showed how politicians were OEMCL Ltd (Mauritius), OEHCL ltd (DUBAI) on the payroll of Dawood and how they were acting as his servants. Much of this Advertisement / Circulation: information was produced in the Vohra committee report, in the portion which Delhi / NCR - Hemant Sharma: D 239 was not made public. We can understand why it was not made public before, Defence Colony New Delhi 110024 INDIA but now, there is no political compulsion as such. It should have been presented Tel – 011 49060350 before the public to show the deep nexus that existed between the politicians, Mumbai - Vijay Kalantri – Advisor: New police and criminals. All the recent developments in Maharashtra related to ExcelsIor BUILDING, 6tH Floor, A.K. NAYAK Vazegate and his handlers rouge police commissioner Paramvir Singh, NCP & MARG, Fort, MUMBAI - 400001 (INDIA). Shiv Sena political leadership are known to the entire country. It further estab- Phone: 91 - 22 - 22019265 / 22019160 FAX : 91-22- 22019764 / 22019760 lishes the fact that nothing has changed at the ground when it comes to criminal synergy between the various stakeholders. The magazine is published and printed by Rajiv The syndicated crime has dented prosperity of the country and it has in- Agnihotri for Opinion Express Communications & Entertainments Pvt Ltd, from Kumpu Graphic fected the system from top to bottom. It is imperative that the present govern- Press 2 Ashok Nagar, Lucknow & printed at Kumpu ment must table the Vohra committee report on the floor of the parliament and Graphic Press 2 Ashok Nagar, Lucknow – 226001 expose the nexus between the politics, police, bureaucrat, media linkage with Tele : 91-522-4060880 & syndicated mafia to clean up the governance. Narendra Modi has repeatedly Nikhil Offset An ISO 9001 : 2008 Certified Company promised corruption free governance, transparent society and his strong-willed 223, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Area Phase home minister should take up Vohra committee report seriously and the process - I, New Delhi - 110020 Tele : 91-26812316, to clean up the opaque corrupt system controlled by mafia’s must end. The role 26810097, 26810458, FAX:91 45792362 E-Mail : [email protected], [email protected] of the state governments is critical to clean up the mess since law & order is a Registered Office: OPINION EXPRESS HOUSE state subject. The roadmap set up by UP Chief Minister to clean up syndicated 24-A Clyde Road, Lucknow-226001 (India) mafia should be taken as the glaring example to set the law & order right. Our Phone: 91-522-4060880 Fax: 91-522-2208242 country has limited resources and the scarcity is going to increase further, hence # 24x7 mobility +91 9984437000 the distribution of available resources become key for the success of the nation. email: [email protected] We need a coordinated effort from all the stake holders to erase mafia nexus so All disputes are subject to be under jurisdiction of that our next generations can live in peace. courts in Delhi. All content published may be subject to copyright, seek written permission to re-produce. Opinion —Prashant Tewari, Express is trade mark brand of Opinion Express Editor-in-Chief Communications & Entertainment Private Limited. Opinion Express April 2021 3 A Monthly News Magazine April 2021 Cover Story Criminals &Their Political Masters P 5-10 ‘Vested interest have blocked Vohra annexures to hide 11 expose on political nexus with 50 Jewellery that Dawood&Mirchi’ suits modern Forward trajectory women’s 24 to disturb China sensibilities CCP digitizes its 26 dictatorship 33 Trouble brewing over Limitless the Middle Kingdom power of the 30 Middlemen Cryptocurrency Bill 2021: Shooting down 38 the messenger?

4 April 2021 Opinion Express Cover Story Criminals &Their Political Masters Saga of criminalization in politics and buried Vohra Committee Report

J Gopikrishnan

henever debates on criminalization and its link with politics, memories will resurface about the not yet fully published Vohra Committee Report of 1993. Actually the 12-page report prepared by Home Secretary NN Vohra names only fugi- Wtives Dawood Ibrahim, first parked in Dubai and now in Pakistan and late Iqbal Mirchy parked in London and then talks about criminalization of politics in Bihar, Haryana , Uttar Pradesh without any naming any politicians. It also talks about role of narcotics trade, film world mafia etc without naming anyone in the signed first 12 pages of the report. It is well known that Vohra who later enjoyed post retirement life of more than 25 years up to Governorship has annexed many unsigned intelligence reports, newspaper clippings and sensitive letters of many which names many big names.

Opinion Express April 2021 5 Many portions of these unsigned annexure naming important politicians (one recently died) basically from Western region and their involvement with Dawood Ibrahim, narcotics gangs, hawala rackets are still available. Gen- erally media avoided publishing due to its sensitive nature and these annexure are unsigned. Many Editors lost job for bringing out some of the portions of these annexure. Classic case was termination of late Editor Vinod Mehta for naming a big politician from Maha- rashtra for his links with Dawood Ibra- him. Not only Vinod Mehta lost job, the newspaper owned by The Times of In- dia also closed down after this incident. We leave it to the guess of readers about the name of the politician, still controlling the affairs of Maharashtra. Basically criminalization of politics starts from election winning techniques like booth capturing and retain the power by terrorizing the people to ensure the money collection. “In certain States, like Bihar, Haryana and UP, these gangs enjoy the patronage of local levelpoliticians, cutting across party lines and the protection of governmental functionaries. Some politicallead- ers become the leaders of these gangs/ armed senas and, over the years, get themselves elected tolocal bodies, State Assemblies and the national Parlia- ment. Resultantly, such elements have acquiredconsiderable political clout seriously jeopardizing the smooth functioning of the administration andthe safety of life and property of the common man, causing a sense of despair and alienation among the people,” narrates Vohra Committee Report. The Report goes on :“An organised crime Syndicate/Mafia generally commences its activities by indulging in petty crime at the local level, mostly relating to illicit distillation/gambling/ organisedsatta and prostitution in the larger towns. In port towns, their activities involve smuggling and sale of im- ported goods and progressively gradu- ate to narcotics and drug trafficking. In the bigger cities, the main source of income relates to real estate – forcibly occupying lands/buildings, procuring such properties at cheap rates by forcing out the existing occupants/tenants etc. Over time, the money power thus acquired is used for building up contacts with bureaucrats and politicians and expansion of activities with impunity. The money power is used to develop a network of muscle-power which is also used by the politicians during

6 April 2021 Opinion Express Classic case was termination of late Editor Vinod Mehta for naming a big politician from Maharashtra for his links with Dawood Ibrahim. Not only Vinod Mehta lost job, the newspaper owned by The Times of India also closed down after this incident. We leave it to the guess of readers about the name of the politician, still controlling the affairs of Maharashtra.

Opinion Express April 2021 7 elections”. resolution (famously known as Calcutta eral beliefs on these murders remain as The above two paragraphs of the Thesis) justifying the need of elimina- hear says without any proof. Famous Vohra Committee Reports neatly nar- tion of “class enemies”. film ‘New Delhi Times’ narrates this rates the role of criminalization in In- There is another kind of violence still kind of elimination of political rivals dian politics. Now let us back to the practiced in India. This is the violence from within the party. electoral violence. After introduction Another such incident of big vio- of Electronic Voting Machine, booth lence was erupted inside DMK. In a capturing violence is not happening Another such incident tussle for to become party’s No : 2, su- from 2000. Thanks to maverick former of big violence was premo Karunanidhi’s sons Stalin and maverick Election Commissioner late Alagiri went to street fights leading to T.N.Sheshan for forcefully implement- erupted inside DMK. In the murder of Stalin’s supporter MLA ing Electoral Identity Cards and Elec- ThaKiruttinan in 2003. The brothers’ tronic Voting Machines. But politicians a tussle for to become fight for supremacy in the party ended are not fools. They devise new methods party’s No : 2, supremo up in burning of nephews Maran broth- to grab power. Violence is perpetrated ers newspaper office and burn to death using the local anti-social elements to Karunanidhi’s sons of staffers. Alagiri lost temper when fear the electorate to stay away from Stalin and Alagiri went Marans’ newspaper published a “sur- voting, money pumping to bribe voters vey” saying people want Stalin as the still going on. to street fights leading leader. After this violent incident Karu- to the murder of anidhi ordered Dayanidhi Maran to re- Elimination of political sign from Union Cabinet in 2006. rivals Stalin’s supporter MLA Elimination of political rivals is the Other crimes worst in Indian politics, where Left par- ThaKiruttinan in 2003 Many big crimes involving politi- ties have a say. This intolerant barba- cians, agencies are literally tied of their rism happens in Left controlled areas hands. Police forced to act when public like Kerala and West Bengal and Mao- goes bigger. Many sleazy stories, black ist infiltrated areas of central India. or elimination of enemies within the mailing also involved in the politically Sadly though Left parties are sidelined party. Here comes the real role of usage linked murders. These were many times in West Bengal politics, Trinamool of mafia elements by politicians to elim- stories for many action thriller movies. Congress regime also this violence and inate their rivals within the party. Even Aspiring lady politician Banwari Devi elimination of political opponents hap- terrorists, mafia underworld and ultra murder, activist Shehla Masood mur- pening. It must be interesting note that naxal gangs were used to eliminate the der, journalist Shivani Bhatnagar mur- such barbaric methods are not happen- rivals within the party. Unfortunately der cases are such full of sleaze involving in areas where BJP and Congress are probes in these cold blooded murders ing many political leaders. strong. So we can attribute the origin of never proved due to the professional Sunanda murder case exposes the elimination of political enemy methods killings and alibis deployed with com- intricacies of politicians and IPL bet- to Left parties which once even passed a plete precision techniques. So still gen- ting rackets. Sunanda was found dead

8 April 2021 Opinion Express in seven-star Hotel Leela within few hard. Detailing the role of smuggling rack- hours when she is going to expose her “The big smuggling Syndicates, hav- ets, Vohra Report goes on : “It has been Husband Minister Shashi Tharoor and ing international linkages, have spread suggested that the menace has first to be his IPL controversies in January 2014. into and infected the various economic tackled at the local level where the agen- It took more than a year for Delhi Police and financial activities, including havala ciesof the State and the concerned Cen- to register FIR and forced chargesheet transactions, circulation of black mon- tral Enforcement Agencies like Customs Tharoor only in 2018. Actually Delhi ey and operations of a vicious parallel and Excise, Income Taxetc. would be re- Police was forced to act after BJP lead- economy causing serious damage to the quired to take effective action. In cases er Subramanian Swamy approached economic fibre of the country. These where a crime Syndicate has graduated Courts while all in politics and media Syndicates have acquired substantial to bigbusiness, it would be necessary to were keeping criminal silence. financial and muscle power and social conduct detailed investigations into its respectability and have successfully assets, both movable andimmovable. Smuggling, Narcotics rack- corrupted the government machinery It has been stressed that when such ac- ets and Politics at all levels and wield enough influence tion is not timely and effectively taken, Smuggling rackets and politicians to make the task of Investigating and the lowerfunctionaries of the concerned are closely associated from time im- Prosecuting agencies extremely diffi- State and Central Departments/organi- memorial. From Mumbai under world cult; even the members of the Judicial sations start over-looking theactivities dons to fugitives to latest Kerala’s UAE system have not escaped the embrace of of the crime Syndicates. To elucidate Consulate involved gold smuggling are the Mafia. this point, the Director CBI has given the telling examples of this big syndi- “Certain elements of the Mafia have the example ofIQBAL MIRCHI of Bom- cate. Government’s can if they want shifted to narcotics, drugs and weapon bay who, till the late 80’s, was merely a curtail this smuggling and narcotics smuggling and established narco-ter- visitor to passenger and carrier ships to syndicates. But no one wanted and that rorism networks, specially in the States obtain liquor and cigarettes for selling is why India’s Customs Department is of J&K, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharash- the same at a profit. known as the most corrupt department. tra. The cost of contesting elections has “In the last 3-4 years, MIRCHI ac- Corruption in Customs Department is thrown the politician into the lap of quired real estate valuing crores of ru- always so bigger than Police and other these elements and led to a grave com- pees; he has many bankaccounts and money spinning departments and it is promise by officials of the preventive/ has been paying lakhs of rupees to his well known that politicians routinely detective systems. The virus has spread carriers. The growth of MIRCHI is due get their cuts from these dreaded rack- to almost all the centres in the country; to the factthat the concerned Enforce- ets which are capable of eliminating the the coastal and the border States have ment agencies did not timely take ac- people who stood against them. Smug- been particularly affected” narrates tion against him and, later, thisperhaps gling is basically due to the Govern- Vohra Committee Report on the role became difficult on account of the enor- ment’s hyped taxation and when the big smuggling and narcotics trade syn- mous patronage that he had developed. tax terrorism ends smuggling will be ht dicates,” narrates the Report. If MIRCHI isinvestigated, the entire

Opinion Express April 2021 9 patronage enjoyed by him and his link- Trial Stage ages will come to light. Director CBI Rarely do big cases came up before hasobserved that there are many such Director CBI has stated the trial. Many cases landed before the cases, as that of MIRCHI where the ini- that the main mode Courts due to maverick officers. But tial failure has led to theemergence of here come the problems in trial. Many Mafia giants who have become too big of communications/ big cases fail in trial due to bad prosecu- to be tackled. contacts of the tion and corruption in judiciary. There “Director CBI has stated that the is a bizarre incident must be referred main mode of communications/con- Mafiasoperating at here. One smuggler and his brother now tacts of the Mafiasoperating at the in- the international level running India’s big law office in han- ternational level is through telephonic dling smuggling and tax evasion cases. communications. Referring to the use- is through telephonic The smuggler was caught and jailed in fulleads emerging from the investiga- his young age and from jail he passed tions into the activities of Dawood Ibra- communications. LLB. Now he is running a big law firm him, a Mafia leader, the director CBI Referring to the handling such cases and few years ago has stated that the effective monitoring he was caught flying with country’s At- of the telephone calls made from India/ usefulleads emerging torney General to Dubai. receivedfrom abroad would yield useful from the investigations information and, for this being done, Suggestions Government may grant sanctionto mon- into the activities of From the above mentioned inci- itor certain telephone connections”. dents, how system can be cleaned up? Dawood Ibrahim The only answer is for the electorate to Role of Banks select ethical political leaders who have Banks are always hesitant with the the desire, capacity, and moral integrity probe agencies in sharing details of the do in such Catch 22 situation? Many not only to root out systemic corruption money movements. There are even in- whistle blower officers were kicked out and break the nexus between politi- stances of Enforcement Directorate, and got all kind of service punishments cians, officials, and criminal elements, DRI which are under Finance Ministry and some were even jailed for concoct- but also to fully support whistle-blow- complaining to the Ministry for resis- ed cases. ers, worthy officers, and prosecutors in tance of State Bank of India in shar- “The assistance of Banks is an es- order to ensure justice is delivered at all ing details. See, all these organizations sential input. The Bank Managers can costs. And there is a responsibility for come under Finance Ministry. This is be placed under obligation to render the electorate while selecting credible the system created and political boss is reports on all heavy transactions and leaders and to be vigil always. sole answerable. We have seen former suspicious accounts to the Enforcement Finance Minister Arun Jaitley venting agencies. Such a practice obtains in his anger against CBI when it charged UK,” said the Vohra Committee Report, [J Gopikrishnan is a senior top bankers for frauds. What poor which is not yet implemented for the journalist working with ‘The probe agencies and its good officers can past 28 years. Pioneer’ newspaper.] 10 April 2021 Opinion Express ‘Vested interest have blocked Vohra annexures to hide expose on political nexus with Dawood&Mirchi’ any influential leaders in Ma- late 1970s and as per their findings, this what they already havethe findings of harashtra and Gujarat during very prominent leader of the state got the Vohra committee that are encom- M1990s had developed close almost Rs 70 crore from Dawood till the passed in the annexures.” relations with underworld don Da- 1993 blasts. The reports also mentioned wood Ibrahim and his henchman Iqbal how Rs 5 crore was given to another Vohra report and after Mirchi. This assertion was officially put politician through hawala to help him The Vohra Committee report has down on paper when the N.N. Vohra in contesting the 1990 elections. The highlighted the manifold dimensions of committee submitted its report to the report also had the name of a “former the malaise of criminalisation of politics. Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 5 CM”.Another input that is a part of the The germs of this malaise took birth in October 1993, roughly three months annexures of the Vohra committee re- 1969 when there was a split in the Con- after it was established on 9 July 1993 port, showed how two tranches of Rs 5 gress and the guiding motto became the in the aftermath of the 12 March 1993 crore each was given by Dawood in 1992 pursuit of power. The demand of mon- Bombay bomb blasts. to a relative of a Chief Minister who ey for party funds to contest elections Vohra was then the Union Home later himself became a politician.The paved the way, as was inevitable, to po- Secretary.While the contents of the re- annexures, as the officials recall, have litical corruption. The two vicious off- port, that was subsequently made pub- prominently mentioned the name of a shoots of the demand for money in the lic on 1 August 1995 in Parliament, were very powerful leader from the Congress, garb of election funds were the malady only limited to 11 pages, it is a part of who at that time was a mid-level opera- of political corruption and the scourge the government’s own records that the tive, but is now among the top ten. of black money. Political corruption finding of the report, in total, was close A former top IB officer said: “Gu- acts as the foster-mother of administra- to 100 pages. jarat-based leaders were prominently tive corruption. Corruption has the vi- It is these 100 pages that were never mentioned in the annexures. If the cious tendency of percolating. Once it made public, that have now become rel- Home Minister decides to summon is there at the top, it is bound to filter evant, almost three decades after they these annexures, if he has not seen them down, spread wide and become ubiq- were brought into existence. till now, he will find very familiar names uitous. When an outcry was raised by The inputs given by the agency, at in them. Every leader comes and makes some public men about the menace of the time, had stated that there was a statements on Dawood and Mirchi. The corruption and its immensity, they were “definite” nexus between Dawood and a real test of intent is whether they have sought to be silenced on the ground that very big leader of Maharashtra since the the guts to take action on the basis of corruption prevailed in all countries.

Opinion Express April 2021 11 The fact that the extent of corruption in tion has to take a back seat and no se- our country was much larger was sim- rious effort is made to procure incrimi- ply brushed under the carpet. As things Undoubtedly, earlier nating pieces of evidence. The question stands today, corruption has befouled then arises on how to break the nexus the entire political and administrative also, there was between the criminals and politicians. apparatus of the country. Undoubtedly, corruption but it was It is thus necessary to evolve a code of earlier also, there was corruption but conduct for the political parties so that it was confined to officials at the lower confined to officials at they may not in the selection of candi- level and the scale of corruption was the lower level and the dates for election choose anyone with also not high. As against that the mal- shady antecedents. The code of con- aise has now affected also those at the scale of corruption was duct, if it is not to remain a collection of higher rung of administration and all pious sentiments, must be given some factions of the State. also not high. As against teeth. We should therefore give thought Subsequently, the criminals and that the malaise has to (he idea of giving legal sanction to the mafia leaders felt that if they could get prescribed code of conduct to prevent other elected, why should they not with, now affected also those its violation and infraction, their grip and hold over a section of the at the higher rung of Even in the absence of legal sanc- population seek election for themselves. tions public opinion, reinforced by vigi- The result was that many of them con- administration and all lant media, should be built up to impel tested elections and quite a number of factions of the State. the parties to adhere to the code of them were elected. Some of them also conduct in the selection of candidates. came to occupy ministerial chairs. Denunciation of the malady of crimi- Things came to such a pass that ac- are, it has become most difficult, if not nalisation of politics would remain con- cording to newspaper reports, about 45 impossible, to secure the conviction of fined to the theoretical plane, unless the per cent of members of one State Leg- major culprits accused of serious of- identity of the politicians having close islature were those who were history- fences such as murder, homicide, griev- links with criminals Is brought out. The sheeters on the police records. Another ous hurt, intimidation and kidnapping. Vohra Committee has done the basic fallout of criminalisation of politics has This is so because of interference by the spade work and pointed out the various been the havoc brought in the admin- political bosses in the investigation of facets and dimensions of this malady of istration of criminal justice. As things crimes. As a result, effective investiga- criminalisation of politics and how the

12 April 2021 Opinion Express mafia network was virtually running a parallel Government. The Government The Government has, as a follow up action, has, as a follow up action, appointed a Committee of Secretaries to look fur- appointed a Committee of Secretaries to look ther into the matter with the help of in- further into the matter with the help of intelligence telligence services. This is bound to operate as a cover up. It would be wholly services. This is bound to operate as a cover up. unrealistic and an exercise in sheer naivete to think that a committee of serv- It would be wholly unrealistic and an exercise in ing civil servants, however upright they sheer naivete to think that a committee of serving may otherwise be, to name the politicians some of whom may be Ministers civil servants, however upright they may otherwise having close nexus with criminals. If we be, to name the politicians some of whom may be are earnest in the matter, the further task should be entrusted to a body of Ministers having close nexus with criminals. independent persons not subordinate to the Government. Indeed, the present attempt to cover up the identity of independent agency already exists in squib” and “a cat out of the bag”. A damp the culprits remains one of an earlier countries such as Germany and ensures squib, because it did not reveal any spe- attempt which was made at the highest transparency of the monetary affairs of cific names of politicians but only stated political level to cover up die identity of political parties. The country today is in a general manner what has already the recipients of kickbacks of the Bofors passing through moral crises because of been widely known and talked about for gun transaction. The attempts then be- the doings of politicians. This is so, de- several years now. At the same time, it ing made to find out the identity of the spite the presence in the political arena was “a cat out of the bag” because it was recipients of that tainted money were of a number of persons of the highest for the first time that an official report sabotaged at the highest political level integrity, attached to moral values, al- clearly brought out that (a) crime syndi- when our then External Affairs Minis- though unfortunately they belong to a cates and mafia organizations have de- ter accompanying the Prime Minister to diminishing tribe. veloped significant muscle and money Switzerland told the Swiss Government power and (b) they were virtually run- to go slow. As regards the malady of Politics & crime ning a parallel government pushing the the money power, the need of the hour Beyond Vohra Committee ( Re- State apparatus into irrelevance. This is is to ensure audit of party funds by an port P. R. Dubhashi ) a frightening admission to make for an independent agency such as the Comp- The Vohra Committee report on the official committee but it does not state troller & Auditor-General India. A sys- criminalization of politics in India has how to “bell the cat”, how the situation tem of the audit of party funds by -an been variously described as “a damp has to be dealt with, how criminaliza-

Opinion Express April 2021 13 tion of politics and government can be overcome and ultimately eliminated. All that it suggests is the setting up of The first step is to see that candidates who a nodal agency which will provide one place where the intelligence and infor- stand for elections to Parliament and Legislative mation relating to the activities of crime Assemblies do not use the money and muscle power syndicates and mafia organizations gathered by different agencies like the of criminals to get elected; nor criminals allowed Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of to stand for election. The strict enforcement of Investigation and various agencies under the Department of Revenue could the electoral code of conduct during the last State be brought together and monitored, Lack of coordination between various elections did serve this purpose, to a considerable administrative agencies is a well-known extent, of curbing use of money and muscle power shortcoming of our administrative system and this holds good in our system of intelligence gathering also. An internal coordinating agency should be not use the money and muscle power of industry, working of banking and finan- looked upon as a normal internal device criminals to get elected; nor criminals cial institutions, imports and exports or of day-today working of administration allowed to stand for election. The strict use of arms. These are spheres in which and that such a device did not exist and enforcement of the electoral code of illegal activity by gangs of criminals had lo lie suggested by a committee is conduct during the last State elections has flourished during the last several a sad reflection on the state of our ad- did serve this purpose, to a consider- years with the complicity of politicians ministration. But we have to go beyond able extent, of curbing use of money in power and the civil servants. It is intelligence gathering. ‘The purpose of and muscle power. Voters at large have the duty of the civil servants to enforce intelligence gathering is to plumb the welcomed this development and expect law. If they do not do so, it is because depths of criminalization, unravel its that this gain should be consolidated they are pressured by corrupt politi- genesis, lay bare the root causes and through similar strictness in future elec- cians who are in league with criminals work out comprehensive measures to tions as well. The electoral law should or have themselves become corrupt and root out corruption and criminalization be further strengthened so as to debar join hands with criminal elements, In in politics, government and administra- criminals from standing for elections. the latter case, they should be brought tion. The Vohra Committee report does The strict enforcement of the electoral to book by the Vigilance Commissioner not indicate how this can be accom- code of conduct is but part of the strict or Lokayukta who are appointed in sev- plished. The first step is to see that can- enforcement of the law of the land in eral Stales. The vigilance machinery didates who stand for elections to Par- every other sphere - whether urban should be strengthened. liament and Legislative Assemblies do building activity, trade, business and But honest civil servants are some-

14 April 2021 Opinion Express times prevented from proper enforcement of the law and taking decisions in They should not he exposed to arbitrary ‘transfers the public interest. Where the officers refuse to be pressured, they are sub- and their careers should no! be ruined or jected to abrupt and vexations transfers jeopardized just for doing their duty. The public taking a heavy toll of their family lives. Governed by the rules of a strict code at large should also appreciate the importance of of conduct and discipline, the honest officer finds himself helpless, it is idle honest and strict administration, it should have to talk of professionalism in such an its own autonomy and should function without environment. If the nation wants civil servants to be honest and play their role political interference. Needless to say. that strict in a professional manner, they need administration does not mean non-responsive more protection than is available now. They should not he exposed to arbitrary administration. ‘transfers and their careers should no! be ruined or jeopardized just for doing their duty. The public at large should criminal elements is at present a worri- and later dominate the affairs of politi- also appreciate the importance of hon- some feature of, our administration. It is cal parties. Their youth wings seem to est and strict administration, it should necessary, therefore, to go beyond civil beespecially vulnerable to the criminal have its own autonomy and should service and police reforms and extend and aggressive elements. How can the function without political interference. the reforms process to political parties political parties be reformed? Neither Needless to say. that strict administra- as well. At present political parties seem the Constitution nor any law prescribes tion does not mean non-responsive ad- to be beyond the pale of any framework how they should function. The time ministration. of rules and regulations. Taking advan- has now come for laying down’ broad Political interference on behalf of tage of this, criminal elements enter into norms for composition and functioning

Opinion Express April 2021 15 of political parties in the country. No less than a chapter in Constitution itself on the code of conduct of political parties can serve the purpose. Such a code of conduct could be on the lines of the prescriptions of the Nolan Committee in Britain - honesty, integrity, objectivi- ty, openness and accountability. Honest administration can bring the culprits to book and prosecute them in courts of law - no matter who the culprits are and what positions they hold in public life. It is only through the relentless pursuit of criminal politicians by the honest prosecutors and intrepid judges that criminalization of politics has been halted in Italy. The crusades of those judges are a reflection of the public disgust and frustration of having to put up with corrupt politicians for so long. The trial of the former Prime Minister, Chiton An- dreotti, for collusion with the mafia is the culminating point of this crusade. This powerful politician, 31 times Min- ister and seven times Prime Minister, is charged with having ordered the assassination of an over zealous journalist and colluded with mafia chiefs, even sending birthday and marriage presents to members of their families. The Italian case should provide an excellent example of how we should proceed to The trial of the former Prime Minister, Chiton eliminate criminalization of politics in Andreotti, for collusion with the mafia is the our own country. The ultimate remedy is. of course, awakening of the spirit of culminating point of this crusade. This powerful the people against criminalization of politician, 31 times Minister and seven times politics and government so that they do not fear criminals in politics and society Prime Minister, is charged with having ordered and stand hold against them and their crimes, the time has now come to de- the assassination of an over zealous journalist and mand the setting up of a National Com- colluded with mafia chiefs, even sending birthday mission on ethics of public life for making comprehensive recommendations and marriage presents to members of their families. regarding an agenda of reform The Italian case should provide an excellent Mafia running parallel Gov- example of how we should proceed to eliminate ernment The Vohra Committee report tabled criminalization of politics in our own country. in Parliament on1st August 1995: The Government had established a commit- CBI Member and JS(PP) MHA Member wood Ibrahim gang, consequent to the tee comprised as below, to take stock Secretary. The Committee was autho- bomb blasts in Bombay in March 1993. of all available information about the rized to invite senior officers of vari- From these various reports, it was ap- activities of crime syndicates mafia or- ous concerned Departments to gather parent that the activities of the Memon ganization which had developed links the required information. The Special brothers and Dawood Ibrahim had pro- with and were being protected by Gov- Secretary (Internal Security & Police), gressed over the years, leading to the ernment functionaries and political MHA, was subsequently added as a establishment of a powerful network. personalities. Based on the recommen- Member of the Committee. The com- This could not have happened without dations of the committee, Government mittee was desired to submit its report these elements having been protected shall determine the need, if any, to es- within 3 months. In the first meeting of by the functionaries of the concerned tablish a special organization/agency the committee(held on 15th July ’93), Government departments, especially to regularly collect information and the Government had established the Customs, Income Tax, Police and oth- pursue cases against such elements: committee after seeing the reports of ers. It was, therefore, necessary to iden- Home Secretary Chairman: Secretary our intelligence and investigation agen- tify the linkages and to also determine (R) Member: DIB Member: Director cies on the activities/linkages of the Da- how such information could be timely

16 April 2021 Opinion Express collected and acted upon in the future. and CBI could be made available to this In the course of the discussions, some nodal agency. R&AW will nominate an of the Members appeared to have some Accordingly, the various officer of suitable rank to liaise with hesitation in openly expressing their offices abroad of this the nodal agency on a regular basis to views and also seemed unconvinced enable expeditious followup action. that the Government actually intended Agency have a limited Crime Syndicate A report on the nexus to pursue such matters. strength and are largely between the Bombay city police and the Accordingly, the various offices Bombay under-world was prepared by abroad of this Agency have a limited geared to the collection CBI in 1986. It would be useful to insti- strength and are largely geared to the tute a fresh study by CBI, on the basis of collection of militaries, economic, sci- of militaries, economic, which appropriate administrative/legal entific and political intelligence. R&AW scientific and political measures could be initiated. An orga- monitor the activities of certain organized crime syndicate/mafia generally nizations abroad only insofar as they intelligence. R&AW commences its activities by indulging relate to their involvement with nar- monitor the activities in petty crime at the local level, mostly co-terrorist elements and smuggling relating to illicit distillation/gambling/ arms, ammunition, explosives etc. into of certain organizations organized satta and prostitution in the the country. It does not monitor the larger towns. In port towns, their activi- activities of criminal elements abroad abroad only insofar ties involve smuggling and sale of im- which are mainly confined to “normal as they relate to their ported goods and progressively gradu- smuggling without any links to terror- ate to narcotics drug trafficking. In the ist elements.” The present strength of involvement with narco- bigger cities, the main source of income the Agency’s offices abroad would not terrorist elements relates to real estate - forcibly occupy- permit to enlarge its field of activities. ing lands/buildings, procuring such If, however, there is evidence to suggest and smuggling arms, properties at cheap rates by forcing out that these organizations have links with ammunition, explosives the existing occupants/tenants etc. over Intelligence agencies of other countries, time, the money power thus acquired is particularly Pakistan, and that they are etc. into the country. used for building up contacts with bu- being used or are likely to be used by reaucrats and politicians and expansion such countries for de-establishing our of activities with impunity. The money economy, it would become R&AW’s blasts case. The creation of a nodal power is used to develop a network of responsibility to monitor their activi- agency to collect information regard- muscle-power which is also used by the ties as is being done by this Agencies ing the activities of mafia organizations politicians during elections. to collect vital information in regard to is very essential. All the existing infor- The CBI has reported that all over the investigations in the Bombay bomb mation/data available with R&AW, IB India crimes syndicates have become

Opinion Express April 2021 17 a law unto themselves. Even in the smaller towns and rural areas, muscle- he Director CBI has given the example of Iqbal men have become the order of the day. Hired assassins have become a part of Mirchi of Bombay who, till the late 80’s was merely these organizations. The nexus between a visitor to passenger and carrier ships to obtain the criminal gangs, police, bureaucracy and politicians has come out clearly in liquor and cigarettes for selling the same at a various part of the country. The existing criminal justice system, which was profit. In the last 3-4 years, Mirchi acquired real essentially designed to deal with the estate valuing crores of rupees; he has many bank individual offences/crimes, is unable to deal with the activities of the ma- accounts and has been paying lakhs of rupees to his fia: the provisions of law in regard to careers. economic offences are weak: there are insurmountable legal difficulties in at- taching/confiscation of the property acquired through mafia activities. It has was merely a visitor to passenger and led. The CBI director has stated that been suggested that the menace has first carrier ships to obtain liquor and ciga- the main mode of communications/ to be tackled at the local level where the rettes for selling the same at a profit. In contacts of the mafias operating at the agencies of the State and the concerned the last 3-4 years, Mirchi acquired real international level is through telephon- Central Enforcement Agencies like Cus- estate valuing crores of rupees; he has ic communications. Referring to the toms and Exercise, Income Tax would many bank accounts and has been pay- useful leads emerging from the inves- be required to take effective action. In ing lakhs of rupees to his careers. The tigations into the activities of Dawood case where a crime syndicate has gradu- growth of Mirchi is due to the fact that Ibrahim, a mafia leader, the director. ated to big business, it would be neces- the concerned Enforcement agencies CBI has stated that the effective moni- sary to conduct detailed investigations did not take timely action against him toring of the telephone calls made from into its assets, both movable and im- and, later, this perhaps became difficult India/received from abroad would yield movable. It has been stressed that when on account of the enormous patron- useful information and, for this being such action is not timely and effectively age that he had developed. If Mirchi is done, the Government may grant sanc- taken, the lower functionaries of the investigated, the entire patronage en- tion to monitor certain telephone con- concerned State and Central Depart- joyed by him and his linkages will come nections. The assistance of banks is an ments/organizations start overlooking to light. The Director, CBI has observed essential input. The Bank Managers can the activities of the crime syndicates. that there are many such cases, as that be placed under obligation to render To elucidate the point, the Direc- of Mirchi where the initials failure has reports on all heavy transactions and tor CBI has given the example of Iqbal led to the emergence of Mafia giants suspicious accounts to the Enforcement Mirchi of Bombay who, till the late 80’s who have become too big to be tack- agencies. Such a practice obtains in U.K.

18 April 2021 Opinion Express Concluding his analysts, the Director, between the domestic linkages with CBI has made the following suggestions foreign intelligence; necessary action to to bring under control the activities of The DIB has reported show effective action to counteract/neu- the criminal syndicates: identification that due to the tralize the mafia activities and political of offences and award of deterrent pun- and legal constraints in dealing with the ishments, including preventive deten- progressive decline in covert/illegal functioning of the linkag- tion: trial procedures should be simpli- the values of public life es. Like the Director, CBI, the DIB has fied and hastened: surveillance should also stated that there has been a rapid be carried out through finger printing, in the country “warning spread the growth of criminal gangs, photographs and dossiers; monitoring armed senas, drug mafias, smuggling mechanisms should be established at signals of sinister gangs, drug peddlers and economic lob- the State and Central levels; establish- linkages between the bies in the country which have, over the ment of Special Cells in the State CIDs years developed an extensive network of and CBI: suitable amendments should underworld politicians contacts with the bureaucrats/Govern- be introduced in the existing laws to and bureaucracy have ment functionaries at the local levels, more effectively deal with the activities politicians, media persons and strate- of mafia organizations, etc., this would been evident with gically located individuals in the non- also include review of the existing laws State sector. Some of these syndicates and a detailed case study of 10-15 cases disturbing regularity also have international linkages, includ- would provide useful information re- as exemplified by ing the foreign intelligence agencies. In garding the administrative/legal mea- this context, the DIB has given the fol- sures which would be required to be the exposures of the lowing examples: in certain States, like taken to effectively tackle the function- networks of the Bombay Bihar, Haryana and U.P., these gangs ing of mafia organizations. enjoy the patronage of local level politi- The DIB has reported that due to the blast case”. cians, cutting across party lines and the progressive decline in the values of pub- protection of Government functionar- lic life in the country “warning signals ies. Some political leaders become the of sinister linkages between the under- crats, politicians and other sensitively leaders of these gangs/armed senas and world politicians and bureaucracy have located individuals on the other; identi- over the years, get themselves elected to been evident with disturbing regularity fication of the nature and dimensions of local bodies, State Assemblies and the as exemplified by the exposures of the these linkages and the modus operandi national Parliament. Resultantly, such networks of the Bombay blast case”. He of their operations: assessment of the elements have acquired considerable has recommended immediate attention impact of these linkages of the various political clout seriously jeopardizing the to: identification of the nexus between institutions viz. the electoral, political, smooth functioning of the administra- the criminals/mafias and anti-national economic, law and order and the ad- tion and the safety of life and property elements on the one hand and bureau- ministrative apparatus: nexus, if any, of the common man, causing a sense of

Opinion Express April 2021 19 despair and alienation among the peo- inputs “only within the narrow confines for the prevention of smuggling. In this ple: the big smuggling syndicates, hav- of their work charter and choose not to and other tasks, it is assisted by the Di- ing international linkages, have spread take undue cognizance and follow-up rector General of Revenue Intelligence into and infected the various economic action, leave alone sharing with any (DGRI) and the Director General of and financial activities, including ha- other agencies.” Thus, all these agencies Anti-Evasion (DGAE). The DGRI deals wala transactions, circulation of black “functioning within their own cocoons, with the evasion of customs duties: the money and operations of a vicious paral- with the result that a plethora of infor- DGAE with Excise duty evasion. In- lel economy causing serious damage to mation falls to get specific and purpose- come Tax Department administers the the economic fiber of the country. These ful attention needed for the exposure of Income Tax Act, Wealth Tax Act, etc. syndicates have acquired substantial fi- the linkages.” It is, therefore, necessary The CEIB is responsible for coordinat- nancial and muscle power and social ing and strengthening the intelligence respectability and have successfully gathering activities and the investigative corrupted the Government machinery and enforcement actions of the various at the levels and yield enough influence agencies responsible for investigation to make the task of Investigating and into economic offences and the enforce- Prosecuting agencies extremely diffi- ment of economic laws. The CEIB is re- cult; even the members of the judicial sponsible for maintaining liaison with system have not escaped the embrace the concerned Departments/Director- of the mafia: certain elements of the ates both at the Center and at the State Mafia have shifted to narcotics, drugs levels and is expected to provide overall and weapon smuggling and established direction to the investigative agencies narco-terrorism networks, specially under the Department of Revenue. The in the States of J& K, Punjab, Gujarat The investigations into CEIB is expected, interalia, to attend and Maharashtra. The cost of contest- the Bombay bomb blast to the following tasks: Identification of ing elections has thrown the politician major sources generation black money: into the lap of these elements and led to cases have revealed directing and developing intelligence a grave compromise by officials of the about such sources: planning and coor- preventive/defective system. The virus extensive linkages of dinating action and operations against has spread to almost all the centers in the underworld in the such sources. Assisting the various en- the country: the costal and the border forcement agencies in strengthening States have been particularly affected: various governmental the intelligence gathering infrastruc- the Bombay bomb blast case and the agencies, political circles, ture and building up their capability communal riots in Surat and Ahmeda- for storage and retrieval of intelligence. bad have demonstrated how the Indian business sector and the Conducting investigative and analytical underworld had been exploited by the studies in difficult areas of black money Pak, ISI and the latter’s network in UAE film world. The DIB has operations and monitoring indicators to cause sabotage, subversion and com- stated that the network thereof. This Directorate is concerned munal tension in various parts of the with the enforcement of the investiga- country. of the mafia is virtually tion and penal provision of the Foreign The investigations into the Bombay running a parallel Exchange Regulation Act; collection of bomb blast cases have revealed exten- intelligence relating to foreign exchange sive linkages of the underworld in the Government, pushing offences; enquires into suspected viola- various governmental agencies, politi- the State apparatus into tions of the provisions of FERA etc. Nar- cal circles, business sector and the film cotics Control Bureau The NCB is re- world. The DIB has stated that the net- irrelevance. sponsible for the administration of the work of the mafia is virtually running a Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Act. parallel Government, pushing the State It is responsible for coordination with apparatus into irrelevance. It is thus to immediately have an institutional- different Central and State Government most immediately necessary than an ized system which “while giving total Departments/Ministers and the vari- institution is established to effectively freedom to the various agencies pursue ous Central and State law enforcement deal with the menace. In this connec- their charter of work, would simultane- agencies for the implementations of tion, the DIB has stated: presently, there ously cast on them the onus of sharing the NDPS Act. I explained to Secretary is no system/mechanism which is spe- such inputs to a nodal outfit whose job (Revenue) the broad considerations on cifically designated to collect and collate will be to process this information for account of which the Government had intelligence pertaining to the linkages attention of a single designated author- set up a committee to look into the link- developed by crime syndicates mafia ity.” This will enable the Nodal Group ages developed by the mafia elements. with the Government set up. Nonethe- to provide useful leads to the various He informed me that he had recently less, the various intelligence/investiga- to the various agencies and, over time, held a meeting with senior representation/enforcement agencies collect, in a progressive data base will get gener- tives of the RBI, the Chairman CBEC, the normal course of their functioning, ated “to facilitate periodic reviews and Chairman CBDT and the Economic In- information about the nexus between analysis which could then be passed to telligence Council in the Department of the bureaucracy and politicians with the a designated body.” Revenue, and readily agreed with my mafia gangs, smugglers and the under- Central Board of Excise & Customs request to attend a meeting of the com- world. These agencies use such available (CBEC) Interalia, CBEC is responsible mittee along with his concerned officers

20 April 2021 Opinion Express for a full discussion on the issue before the committee. Accordingly, a meeting of the Com- mittee (30th Aug. ’93) to hear the views of Secretary (Revenue), who was ac- companied by chairman CBDT, DGRI, Members (Customs) and Director (En- forcement). During the course of the discussion with Secretary (Revenue) and his aforesaid principal officers, the following significant observations were made: In the normal course of his work, to detect violations of Customs & Exer- cise laws, the DGRI comes across information on linkages between crime Syn- dicates and governmental functionaries etc. As following up of such information is not within the charter of duties of DGRI, his officers focus primarily on the information relating to the violation of the laws relating to their charter. As in the case of DGRI, indirect information also becomes available to the CBDT about linkages. Here again, not being directly relating to their charter of re- sponsibilities, the CBDT do not follow up such leads. While the NCB is specifi- by the Directorate of Enforcement, elements. cally responsible for booking drug traf- specially in regard to money launder- The Chairman, CBDT stated that the fickers, with the increasing importance ing operations, information about the functioning of his officers is concerned, being given to Narco-terrorism, the activities of drug traffickers is passed whenever they come into possession of NCB has been asked to gather further on by DG NCB to the concerned State any information regarding the viola- information so that the real kingpins in Governments and their agencies. How- tion of any other law, the pass it on the the narcotics trade can be apprehended. ever, niggardly responses by the latter concerned agency. He suggested that, if The Directorate of Enforcement comes and prolonged delays in the disposal of the information available with the other across information on linkages and cases before the Courts seriously ham- agencies is passed on to him, his offi- passed it on to the CBI and IB. pers the effective functioning of the cers could pursue the same. As a result Of late, currency amounting to NCB. While the NDPS act prescribes of the discussions held by the commit- crores of rupees is being seized, in- the award of deterrent punishments to tee with the Secretary (Revenue) and variably paced in suit-case and gunny offenders the results are to the contrary. his principal officers, it is evident that: bags. The Banks are reluctant to pass It is necessary that the directorates of While in the course of their normal ac- on information about account hold- prosecution in the State Governments tivities, information on the linkages of ers to CBDT and do not allow their are urgently brought under the con- the crime syndicates sometimes be- officers to hold exploratory requires. trol of the State Police. The Secretary comes available such information is not While a certain amount of information (Revenue) stated that the field officers pursed on the score that is not directly is shared between the various organiza- of his various Departments were faced related to offences falling within the tion under the Department of Revenue, with various problems, amongst which laws administered by these agencies; and those under the MHA and Cabinet are: The utter inadequacy of the crimi- such information is occasionally passed Secretariat, the exchanges are sporadic nal justice system: cases are not heard on by these agencies to the CBI and or and limited. This is perhaps due to the timely: functioning of the Government IB; the various agencies under the De- fact that each concerned organization/ lawyers is grossly inadequate: all this partment of Revenue do not specifically agency is anxious to protect its sources results in a low percentage of convic- search out information on the linkages and is apprehensive that a full sharing tions and mild punishments. Unless the of crime Syndicates. Consequent to the of all information might jeopardize its criminal justice system is geared up, the committee’s discussions with the Secre- operations, on account of premature work of the enforcement agencies can- tary (Revenue) and his principal officers leakage of information. While DGRI, not be effective, the field officers of the held a series of further personal discus- Director (Enforcement) and DG NCB various agencies of the Revenue Dept. sions with the Secretary (Revenue). At are authorized to undertake phone tap- are often pressurised by senior Gov- my request, Secretary (Revenue) gave ping of suspected offenders, the DGRI ernment functionaries/political lead- me a personal note indicating his views, has not Page 28 of 28 been allowed to ers, apparently at the behest of crime which are briefly as below. The infor- enforce surveillance on the telephonic Syndicates/Mafia elements. Unless the mation gathered by the various agen- communications of political person- field level officers are offered effective cies under the Revenue Department, alities. Senior police officers, even in protection, they cannot be expected to while gathering intelligence on offences the border States, are not trained or maintain interest in vigorously pursu- relating to the laws administered by adequately informed of the work done ing action against the activities of such them, is generally not put to any use

Opinion Express April 2021 21 unless it is required to be passed on of the Memon Brothers and Dawood to other intelligence agencies outside Ibrahim). While the CBI and IB and the the Department of Revenue. The link- various agencies under the Department ages developed by crime Syndicates of Revenue, in their normal course of get generally confirmed when pressure functioning come across information is mounted on the concerned agencies relating to the linkages of crime syn- not to take action against the offenders dicates/mafia organizations, there is or to go slow in the case against them. presently no system under which they Such pressures are amounted either are expected to pass on such informa- immediately after a raid is conducted or tion to an identified nodal agency. Shar- at the time when prosecution is about ing of such information is presently of to be initiated. Pressure is also exerted While the CBI and IB an occasional nature and no evidence is whenever corrupt and undesirable of- available of the same having been put to ficers are shifted from sensitive assign- and the various agencies any operational use (the only mention- ments (Preventive Customs Divisions under the Department of able exception perhaps relates to the re- at the Airports, sensitive Collectorate in cent investigations into the activities of the Central Excise etc.) In the narcot- Revenue, in their normal Memon Brothers and the Dawood gang ics arena, which includes cultivation of on which several of our agencies were opium, manufacture of alkaloids, pre- course of functioning put to work collectively). Even where an vention of narcotics, smuggling etc, the come across information agency comes across certain informa- final stakes, are astronomically high. tion about the linkages of crime Syndi- Consequently, the level of corrup- relating to the linkages cates, it has no mandate to immediately tion is a very high order in this area of of crime syndicates/ pass it on to one or more agencies. An functioning and enormous pressures agency which comes across information are brought to bear even when subordi- mafia organizations, regarding linkages is also apprehensive nate officials are posted away, specially that the sharing of such information when the shift of an officer adversely there is presently no may jeopardize its own functioning affects the interests of those who are system under which they through premature leakage. In sum, the making easy money. Narcotics trade various agencies presently in the field has world-wide network of smugglers are expected to pass on take care to essentially focus on their who also have close links with terrorists. such information to an respective character of duties, dealing Terrorists indulge in narcotics trade to with the infringement of laws relating amass huge funds in various foreign identified nodal agency. to their organizations and consciously currencies from which they source their putting aside any information on link- procurement of weapons etc. While the ages when they may come across. In the Department of Revenue, has initiated a taken to ensure the objective function- discussions in the committee, I asked member of steps to deal with the activi- ing of Courts which deal with the trial each of the members as well as the Sec- ties of smugglers and to plug loop-holes of economic offences; all cases before retary (Revenue) and his principal of- in the system the Secretary (Revenue) the Courts should be speedily conclud- ficers about their views regarding the has stated that a possible approach to ed without the judicial officers coming establishment of a Nodal Page 30 of effectively liquidating the linkages de- under any pressure or succumbing to 30 Agency for the collection, collation veloped by the crime Syndicates would temptations; insufficient and corrupt and operationalization of all informa- be to mercilessly prosecute the offend- elements in the various organizations tion relating to the activities of crime ers without succumbing to any pres- must be weeded out and Government Syndicates. Broadly, the following ap- sure whatsoever. He is of the view that should take stringent action against proaches have been mooted. The DIB once the offenders are deterrently pun- officers who seek to the exert political has stated that while considering the es- ished under the law, their influence and pressure for securing postings and ap- tablishment of any nodal mechanism, it strength will start declining, as also of pointments of their choice. must be appreciated that the problems all those who support them, wherever From the above narrated anal- have enormous impact on national se- located. He has emphasized that for ysis, the following conclusions curity and is indeed highly political in the objectives being achieved it will be can be drawn: On the basis of the nature. In this context, he has suggest- extremely necessary that: the center extensive experience gained by our ed that the nodal set up should be under governmental machinery involved in various concerned intelligence, inves- the IB which is even otherwise engaged taking action against the crime Syndi- tigative and enforcement agencies, it in monitoring various political activities cates is allowed to perform its duties is apparent that crime syndicates and having a bearing on national security. with total freedom; officer with impec- mafia organizations have established He has recommended that an exclusive cable integrity should be posted to head themselves in various parts of the coun- Top-Secret Cell be established secu- the various organizations, which are re- try. The various crime syndicates/mafia rity in the IB to function as the Nodal sponsible for taking action against tax organizations have developed signifi- Group for receipt of inputs from various offenders, smuggling etc., such officers cant muscle and money power and es- operating difficulties could be sorted should be selected with utmost care and tablished linkages with governmental out their periodic meetings among the provided sufficiently long tenures, giv- functionaries, political leaders and oth- heads of these organization. ing them the clear mandate to ruthless- ers to be able to operate with impunity Reported by Padma Bhushan ly punish the offenders: action must be (as recently exemplified by the activities P. R. Dubhashi, IAS Retd.

22 April 2021 Opinion Express Opinion Express April 2021 23 Forward trajectory to disturb China By Major General S.B. Asthana

he visit of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin to India, along with TJapan and South Korea within a week of Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) Summit held on March 12, indicates a quick follow up. The Summit did not name China directly, but Beijing seemed nervous and rattled about the event, as its mouthpiece Global times accused the Quad members to be hyping the “China threat” before the event and expressed that India will not go US way due to its own ambition and economic dependency on China, after the visit. Apparently, China saw a major challenge to its dream of China Centric Asia Pa-cific, in Quad’s call for a free, open, inclusive, healthy, Indo-Pacific region that is “anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion”. China’s (SCS) and continues to coerce countries that there are wide divergences in four hope that the four-country group hasn’t in Indo-Pacific region. democracies getting together, but in the formed a cohesive force from within, The list of shared challenges to be evolution process, Quad seems to be get- may need a revisit, after the Quad lead- addressed also includes cyber space, ting over some of them. There is much ers agreed to give joint statement, com- critical tech-nologies, counterterrorism, more acceptability regarding divergent mitted to holding an in-person leaders’ quality infrastructure investment, and definitions and focus ar-eas within the summit by the end of 2021 and agreed humanitarian-assis-tance and disaster- Indo-Pacific region. With the series of to pursue important agendas through relief (HADR), some of which echo Chi- foundational agreements like COMCA- three focused working groups. nese alleged involvement like cyber at- SA, BECA, LEMOA and CISMOA signed tacks and transparency of World Health between US and India, and naval exer- Benign agenda but clear Organization. The Quad’s assertion to cises, the inter-operability of India with trajectory other Quad members, operating within Besides unanimity in need for free, Quad Summit 2021 NATO military alliance framework, has open rules-based order, rooted in in- improved. The joint statements of De- ternational law to advance security and support the rule of law, freedom of nav- fence Ministers of the US and India on prosperity and counter threats to both in igation, overflight, democratic values, March 20 indicates convergence in ap- the Indo-Pacific, the key agenda which and territorial integrity has added to proach and intention to have better de- attracted global attention was collective frustration of Beijing, which has started fence cooperation between both coun- response to Covid-19 pandemic in terms firing salvo of propaganda through its tries in line with Quad commitments of synergizing the vaccination efforts for mouthpiece Global Times, calling India and strategic partnership. humanity, with India as manufacturing (the only Non-NATO partner) as “Nega- India is the only country amongst hub, assisted by others to roll out one tive Asset for BRICS and SCO” failing to Quad members, which has unsettled billion vaccines by 2020. The other two understand Chinese good-will! Quad’s land border with China. After Doklam issues of working groups being emerg- announcement of forthcoming naval and Ladakh standoffs, it’s quite clear ing critical technologies and climate drills of Quad plus countries and will- to Indians that China can’t be trusted, change. The agenda seems benign, but ingness of some NATO members like which has brought relatively better clar- Beijing did not miss the connection of the UK, France and Germany, to join ity in Indian position. The economic en- freedom of navigation, overflight and in responding to challenges in Indo- tanglement of each of the Quad mem- the concerns over “aggression” and Pacific, has further added to discomfort bers with China necessitates a resilient “coercion” against members of Quad of China, indicating for-ward trajectory supply chain, digital and technological by China in its first summit meeting. of Quad. eco system, with minimal dependence No-one during the Summit called out on China. There has been consensus re- China directly, but China knows that China overplays divergenc- garding support for ASEAN’s centrality it challenged rule-based order by junk- es in Quad in the Indo-Pacific as well, but their in- ing PCA’s decision in South China Sea China will like the world to believe clusion into it will be a debatable issue,

24 April 2021 Opinion Express due to Chinese influence over them. that the US or any other country will Group’, as prevention of accidental trig- China has always tried to deal with ev- not use military force to dismantle their gering of conflict is possible in a region ery country on bilateral terms, using its infrastructure constructed in SCS. It is having high density of combat ship on Comprehensive National Power (CNP) also increasing its naval capability at FON missions. to its advantage and will continue to do unprecedented pace. In this context it is The Summit did not signal expan- so even with Quad members. necessary that Quad strengthens itself sion, but it needs to have flexibility to Countering Chinese Challenge? The beyond Malabar exercises, gets some incorporate like-minded democratic ‘Incremental Encroachment Strategy’ of teeth in the form of maritime capacity countries, as many would be keen to China exhibited in SCS, East China Sea building of its members and capacity join Quad in future, because Indo-Pa- (ECS) and Ladakh is a serious concern to dominate choke points sensitive to cific region is becoming the global eco- not only to the countries directly af- China, as it’s not a military alliance so nomic centre of gravity and manufac- fected by overlapping EEZ or unsettled far. Quad will therefore need a formal turing hub. Support of other navies like borders, but also to rest of the world, structure and a secretariat to take it for- France, UK, Germany and other NATO as China continues to convert features/ ward. members will be good deterrence to atolls into military bases, expect oth- peace spoilers. Quad in its present form ers to accept them as islands and apply Way ahead for Quad may not be structured to check Chinese ‘Baseline principle’ under UNCLOS-III Covid-19 vaccines will be manu- adventurism, but it seems to be on right to claim its 200 nautical miles of EEZ factured in India, financed by the US trajectory to become one of the most ef- thus converting SCS into ‘Chinese lake’ and Japan with logistical support from fective instruments to do so. Chinese ag- over a period of time. It poses threat Australia. The intention of Quad to gressive reactions during meeting of top to free-dom of navigation (FON) and synergize medical, scientific, financing, officials of US and China indicates that flight along global Sea Lines of Commu- manufacturing, critical emerging-tech- Quad has put China on notice, without nication (SLOC) and may lead to some nology and developmental capabilities even naming it, forcing it to showcase restrictions like Air Defence Identifica- in future, is a step in right direction. its strong stance to domestic audience tion Zone in SCS. Any such action by Sharing of innovative technology and behind nervousness. any country to restrict FON/flight or capacity building for climatic challenges violation of rule of law must be chal- will serve the interest of humanity and (Major General S.B. Asthana is a lenged in UN Security Council backed make Quad an effective grouping. strategic and security analyst, a vet- by Quad. All members of Quad except Quad members must continue free- eran Infantry General with 40 years US have ratified the UN Convention on dom of navigation exercises and mili- experience in national & international the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III); hence tary posturing in Indo-Pacific, as China fields and the UN. A globally acknowl- the US needs to ratify the same, to have continues to do so. If the strategic situa- edged strategic & military writer/an- a moral high ground to implement it. tion worsens there may be a need to po- alyst authored over 350 publications. China seems reasonably confident sition ‘UN Maritime Military Observers The views expressed are personal)

Opinion Express April 2021 25 CCP digitizes its dictatorship The Chinese Communist Party taken rapid strides in digitizing every conceivable sphere of its activity Binay Kumar Singh ence in China, have been arm twisted dent Xi Jinping needs careful study, by CCP into sharing sensitive consumer especially to safeguard nations from the aving unveiled its ambition of data. This helps the CCP to maintain an pitfalls of the CCP’s irredentist ambi- emerging as the top Artificial eagle eye vigil on its 1.4 billion citizenry tions. HIntelligence (AI) superpower through installation of a humongous Historically in 1949, Mao Zedong by 2030, the Chinese Communist Party number of surveillance devices through- had proclaimed the foundation of the (CCP) has taken rapid strides in digitis- out the country, implementation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a sin- ing every conceivable sphere of its ac- dubious Social Credit System and using gle party state controlled by the Com- tivity, so much so even its dictatorial digital media to indoctrinate people to munist Party of China (CPC). He reform of governance. With CCP ideology its ideology while crushing any form of mained in power till his death in 1976, pervading the state-run and data driven dissent within the country. The story of during which he slowly consolidated his Chinese economy, it is but natural that CCP’s transformation from a tradition- control through suppression of land- giant Chinese tech companies and for- ally repressive dictatorship since incep- lords, targeting political opponents and eign companies with significant pres- tion to the digital dictatorship of Presi- capitalists with the ‘Three-anti’ and

26 April 2021 Opinion Express ‘Five-anti’ campaigns, enforcing his vi- times, Xi’s rise from being the Party vants. What really cemented his Dicta- sion of a planned economy, purging Chief of the Zhejiang province of the torship was promulgation of CCP’s offi- rightists within the CPC and bringing Communist Party from 2002-2007 to cial Political doctrine in 2018 called ‘Xi in the infamous ‘Cultural Revolution’ to his appointment as Vice President in Jinping Thought’, which strengthened remove counter-revolutionary elements 2008 to elevation as President in 2012, power at three levels namely, the nation, in a violent 10-year class struggle. While has been meteoric. By 2013, in true dic- the CCP and Xi himself. If that was not Chairman Mao set China on the path tatorial style, Xi acquired all three lead- enough, the National People’s Congress of growth and industrialisation, his ership roles in China -- General Secre- (NPC) on December 26, 2020, amend- regime will always be remembered as tary of the Communist Party of China, ed the National Defence Law (NDL) ex- being ‘autocratic’ and ‘totalitarian’ and Chairman of the Central Military Com- panding the power of its armed forces it had a terrible dark side, of bringing mission and President of the People’s headed by Xi to mobilise military and about mass repression and millions of Republic of China. The first major pol- civilian resources to defend its national deaths through starvation, persecution, icy introduced by Xi in 2013 was a far interests both at home and abroad. ‘Dis- prison labour and mass executions. reaching anti-corruption policy against ruption’ and protection of ‘development Fast forwarding to more recent high ranking officials and local civil ser- interests’ has been added as grounds for

Opinion Express April 2021 27 based businesses to share data which may affect the ‘security of the nation’, which grossly violates privacy of individuals. The Social Credit System introduced by CCP ostensibly aims to stan- dardise the assessment of economic and social reputation of citizens and businesses. It goes without saying that the Social Credit System would reward pro-CCP activities and restrict the freedom to travel and also social liberties of the so called dissenting voices. It is due to this digital totalism that despite poor handling of the Covid-19 pandemic by the CCP administration, only highly sanitised reports came out from China. The CCP Dictatorship has not re- stricted itself to using these ‘virtues’ of Digital Authoritarianism on its own citizens. Two recent global examples of adverse effects of Chinese AI systems can be seen in Zimbabwe and the Philippines. In Zimbabwe, Hikvision’s facial recognition technology has been used for border security purposes and for creation of surveillance cameras mobilising and deploying troops and sourced from BRI countries. enabled smart cities. The Chinese firm reserve forces. Such sweeping powers In reality, AI has given rise to inten- CloudWalk Technology, sanctioned with a life long tenure give Xi a dicta- sified societal surveillance and a clamp- by the US government for its human tor’s stature which even surpasses the down on free expression. A shocking rights abuse against the Uyghur com- Dictatorship of Chairman Mao. and chilling use of AI has been to quell munity, has also developed a facial rec- In his first year as President, Xi an- the Uyghur-Han Chinese clashes in the ognition system for the Zimbabwean nounced the CCP’s ambitious One Belt north western autonomous Xinjiang government. Similarly, the Philippines One Road (OBOR) Project, only to province, which has caused widespread launched the ‘Safe Philippines’ project rename it as the Belt and Road Initia- unrest. The CCP has used AI to incar- at Manila under which about 12000 sur- tive (BRI) a few years later based on cerate without trial over one million Uy- veillance cameras using AI tools would feedback from participating countries ghurs and other Muslim minority eth- be installed in partnership with the Chi- that the term OBOR sounded too au- nic groups in ‘re-education camps’ also nese companies Huewei and CITCC, thoritarian. The vision articulated by referred to as Vocational Education and with an amount of about US $ 400 Mil- the CCP for the more inclusive sound- Training Centers, much like those in lion borrowed from the CCP govern- ing BRI was to undertake infrastructure existence during Chairman Mao’s ‘Cul- ment. Today, it is estimated that at least development and investment in over 70 tural Revolution’. Surveillance cameras, 18 countries are developing mass sur- countries across the continents of Asia, Facial Recognition software etc. have veillance systems with CCP’s assistance. Africa and Europe with likely invest- effectively been used to segregate, track Embracing the CCP AI Model could well ment of about $1.3 trillion over the next and restrict the freedom of the Turkish mean the end of democracy and the rise 10 years. This was followed in 2017 by Muslim minority in Xinjiang. of dictatorship in these countries. the release of Xi’s ‘New Generation Ar- The same AI tools are also used to One can only imagine the enormous tificial Intelligence Development Plan’, monitor the lives of innocent Chinese destructive potential of the debt trap which outlines development of a do- citizens through data mining of giant scheme of BRI coupled with the sinis- mestic AI industry worth $150 billion companies. CCP’s intelligence agencies ter facet of CCP AI dominance. We thus in the next few years and to emerge as regularly use the data processing ca- have a brilliantly conceived formula the leading AI power by 2030. Such is pabilities of private companies such as for modern day colonisation of weak the importance accorded to AI by the Alibaba, Tencents, Huawei, Bytedance, democracies through Digital Dictator- CCP, that it has also been included as Baidu, ZTE etc. to derive actionable in- ship...and all this achieved without a national priority in the ‘Xi Jinping telligence in quick time. This arrange- having to fire a single gunshot let alone Thought’. Therefore, the CCP’s quest ment obviates duplication of expensive fight a war!!! The only counter to this is of achieving world dominance in AI data-processing functions by CCP’s In- to develop a democratic digital model perfectly complements the BRI. China telligence agencies. CCP has given le- which will, while enhancing security, has already invested about $22 billion gitimacy to this practice by enacting the still preserve the privacy and human in the semi-conductor industry which Internet Security Law in 2017, which rights of individuals and safeguard the makes chips to power AI systems. It mandates all data collected in China sovereignty of nations. is predicted that China’s share in the to be stored within the country and (Binay Kumar Singh is an AI market is likely to expand to about bans transfer of data across the border author and columnist, Courtesy $50 billion by 2022 with raw material without approval. It also mandates web IANS)

28 April 2021 Opinion Express ZZZWUDQVJOREHDGYLVRUVLQ

Opinion Express April 2021 29 9HQWXUH&DSLWDO_0HUJHU $FTXLVLWLRQ_/HJDO6HUYLFHV Trouble brewing over the Middle Kingdom Xi Jinping’s reckless and arrogant attitude has not helped China to achieve anything

30 April 2021 Opinion Express Claude Arpi nity’ for development,” said the South China Morning Post, while plans for next 15 years “highlight key role for techno- he Fifth Plenum of the 19th Central Committee of the logical development and importance of boosting domestic Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held between Oc- markets.” Ttober 26 and 29 at Beijing’s Jingxi Hotel; if one is to Despite the usual rhetoric, mainly directed to the inter- believe the Xinhua statement, China is doing very well. nal audience, one could asked what has President Xi Jinping A message the CCP wanted to convey: The 360 or so at- achieved by hiding for weeks the spread of the deadly virus tendees wore no masks, an indication of confidence to show which originated in Wuhan and later by sending the People’s that the Middle Kingdom has tamed the homemade Covid- Liberation Army (PLA) to grab Indian land in Ladakh. 19. To understand better, let us answer a few questions, in- One of the outcomes of the Plenum is that Xi Jinping cluding about the logic of the Chinese armed intervention in vowed to build a fully modern army by 2027. Ladakh. “The four-day plenum in Beijing wraps up with a state- Will India’s strategic road Darbuk-Shyok-DBO Road, ment that says it has entered a period of ‘strategic opportu- which seems to have greatly bothered the generals in the Western Theater Command in Chengdu, be stopped? The answer is ‘no’; it will soon be completed allowing the Indian Army to bring reinforcement in a much shorter time to these remote areas. Has the Chinese attack forced Delhi to drop its claim on Gilgit-Baltistan being India’s territory? No. Will Gen Zhao Zongqi, the big PLA boss who already was responsible for the Doklam episode in 2017, be rewarded by a seat in the over-powerful Central Military Commission? It is now extremely doubtful as Zhao has not achieved anything militarily, especially after the Tibetan/Indian commandos

Despite the usual rhetoric, mainly directed to the internal audience, one could asked what has President Xi Jinping achieved by hiding for weeks the spread of the deadly virus which originated in Wuhan and later by sending the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to grab Indian land in Ladakh.

occupied the ridges South of the Pangong tso (lake). Has the PLA gained any meaningful strategic advantages in Ladakh since May? Perhaps minimally in Depsang and in the Fingers area, but it is balanced by losses in South Pan- gong Tso. India has been the taget of an intense Information War- fare’s firing by the specialized agencies in China, particularly the United Front Work Department; this has worked to some extent, with some Indian publications faithfully reporting the Communist version of the events, in exchange for some advertisements in their newspapers, but over-all it is limited and the Indian public has not been intimidated, on the contrary; President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan, has now become one the favorite Heads of State of the Indian public, due to China’s aggressive tactics. Has Chairman Xi’s prestige been enhanced in India and elsewhere in the world? Not at all, once again on the contrary; in India, Xi has lost the goodwill earned after his encounters with Prime Minister Modi, i.e. the Wuhan Consensus and the Chennai Connect. There will be no such meetings for years to come. Has the prestige of PLA, as a fighting Army, grown? Cer-

Opinion Express April 2021 31 tainly not; despite its might (on paper one day be adopted in the Mainland. invasion in 1985.” at least), the PLA was unable to grab Further, Xi Jinping’s main achieve- After promising to ‘stand with’ In- significant Indian territory. ment has been to unite many nations dia in its confrontation against China Recently the Pew Research Center, a against China. in Ladakh, US Secretary of State Mike nonpartisan think-tank working on is- After the last meeting of the Quad Pompeo used strong words against Chi- sues and trends shaping the world, con- which took place on October 7 in Tokyo, na during his visit to the Maldives and ducted a public opinion on China with Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Sri Lanka; during an encounter with 14 countries. It found that unfavorable Brown stated that the foreign ministers President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, he views of China reach historic highs in of US, Japan, Australia and India had re- announced the opening of an embassy most of the countries surveyed: “A ma- affirmed their collective efforts towards in the archipelago. jority in each of the surveyed countries a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific: It means that India’s neighbours are has an unfavorable opinion of China. “they pledged to continue regular con- slowly turning their back on Beijing. And in Australia, the United Kingdom, sultations to implement their vision of a A top Indian diplomatic source told Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, the peaceful, secure, and prosperous Indo- The Print that Pompeo’s visit to Sri United States, South Korea, Spain and Pacific.” Lanka is “obviously going to help in re- Canada, negative views have reached Nations like France have already ducing China’s influence in the region,” their highest points since the Center shown their interest to join. the source added: “All these countries began polling on this topic more than a More recently, the third India-US which Pompeo is visiting - Sri Lanka, decade ago.” 2+2 Dialogue took place in Delhi. In- Maldives and Indonesia - are key for the One can only conclude that the dian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar success of Indo-Pacific. India is seeking trend will continue with the belligerent observed: “The performance of our re- to establish robust and resilient supply attitude shown during the Fifth Plenum lationship in the last few years has been chains with them.” prevailing. exceptionally positive. Political consul- With or without the US, the pro- Has China made economic gains tations and cooperation have grown, China equation is progressively chang- during the last one year? Again no; defence exchanges and trade too, eco- ing in the region. many flagship companies such as Hua- nomic interactions and commerce are The forthcoming visit of General wei, the giant telecom company, are in up, the partnership in science, technol- MM Naravane, the Indian Army Chief difficulties in most Western countries; ogy and innovation is stronger and our (COAS) to Nepal, even if it does not it is a question of time that its 5G ser- energy security clearly enhanced.” solve the border dispute planted by vices will also be banned in India. There are more examples of positive China, is bound to rekindle the ancient It is clear that Xi Jinping has lost developments triggered by China’s he- kinship and deep cultural, religious and face all-over, with the exception of gemonic attitude. economic closeness between India and ‘sponsored’ nations like Pakistan. According to a report of the Yo- Nepal. The situation is so bad that Beijing miuri Shimbun, it was announced on There is no doubt that Xi Jinping’s does have much alternative to come out October 30 that “the Japanese Ground reckless and arrogant attitude has not the self-created imbroglio; the Party is Self-Defense Force was planning to helped China to achieve anything to- caught in a vicious circle, with the only hold a large-scale exercise of 140,000 wards Beijing’s declared objectives to way out being more repression towards people next year; almost all Japanese work for the Community of Nations, on Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Uyghurs or the troops will participate in response to the contrary. Tibetans, or sponsoring rogue states. the ‘Taiwan affair’ (Beijing’s attitude Interestingly, for many Taiwan has towards Taiwan). The last time such a (Claude Arpi is Director, Pavilion become a model of a Chinese democrat- large-scale exercise was conducted in of Tibetan Culture at Auroville. The ic system, which everyone hopes will Hokkaido against a hypothetical Soviet views expressed are personal)

32 April 2021 Opinion Express Limitless power of the Middlemen Of flourishing biz of men and women who operate below the radar

Prashant Tewari

arendra Modi has successfully curb corruption at the high- Nest within the legislative and bureaucratic power corridors. The surveillance sarkar fear has put fear in the people sitting at powerful positions to restrict open discussion on percentage- based commission that became rampant during Congress era. Of Course, complete elimination of corruption from the public life is impossible in India since there is vast difference of resources between the people with and without power. India remains most inequitable society with third largest concentration of billionaires in the world and perhaps the largest set of poor people on the planet. In modern India, national interests are served by men and women who operate below the radar, ensuring that multi-billion-dollar deals in various sectors are not derailed, and that the Indian economy continues to spend and expand. Ensuring that a clean deal goes through is a difficult game and a corrupt deal is even more complex. This means that even the most transparent Western firms operating in sectors such as defence, construction, highways, power, oil and natural gas are forced to engage people who have a deep knowledge of the systems. These are the players who will deploy tactics, often illegal, to ensure that the company wins lucra- tive contracts. Professional middlemen manage and manipulate huge contracts, run large offices, hire retired government officers and other such experts to manage the system, and are on a first-name basis with not just Indian leaders but many key players around the world. By 2012, India had displaced China as the world’s They have offices not just in India, but in cities around the globe. These are biggest importer of arms…. India’s share of the people who have sophisticated finan- volume of international arms imports increased cial strategies to cover their tracks, who might be among the biggest account from 7 per cent to 14 per cent during 2009-13 holders in many of the tax havens of the compared to the previous five years…. world. They are also the least known play-

Opinion Express April 2021 33 ers in the Indian system—and the most erties, complete legal requirements, or important. They play a critical role in otherwise assist in navigating the sys- sustaining many Indian political parties Some of India’s richest tem. In India, that aspect is only a small by pumping them with black money, yet part of the intermediary’s work—the do not figure in the list of their donors. businessmen make their key engagement is beyond it, and be- Even if criminal cases are registered big profits playing the low the radar. He must ensure that the against them, the most credible evi- system keeps working, a contract is not dence will eventually just disappear into role of intermediaries. scuttled, decisions are taken in time and thin air.These are not the political fix- At the highest echelons a particular company wins a contract. ers down the street or typists guarding In short, he must ensure that the their bosses but men, and occasionally of Indian decision government keeps running in the sin- women, who can swing multi-billion- ister and corrupt way that has become dollar deals, manipulate files and pro- making, it is hard to the norm. It would be no exaggeration curements, throw governments out and figure out who is a mere to say that these powerful intermediar- swing global opinions. The most pow- ies play a critical role in ensuring that erful middlemen in India… decide the middleman and who is a the Indian government does not grind very fate of the country’s democracy. mere industrialist. to a halt, its armed forces modernize At the highest levels, middlemen regularly, that highways are construct- can make or break a company’s pros- ed, and the economy keeps growing at pects in the market. From the moment a robust rate rather than stagnate. In a a contract proposal is prepared, the huge—scholarships for their children perverse way, these middlemen are the middleman’s influence is visible. The in famous Western universities, sports answer to an inept and stagnating gov- parameters detailed in a bid are often coaching camps for children in foreign ernment.The accusations of kick-backs tweaked to qualify their client; trials locales, a villa in Portugal, millions in the Bofors deal caused a huge setback are manipulated to bring up their client stashed in a secret account in a tax ha- to Rajiv Gandhi to the list of winners; negotiations are ven, and much else. The middleman, or intermediary, deftly manoeuvred to the best possible To understand these powerful mid- is actually a legitimate function in any situation for the client; and the final pa- dlemen, one must shed preconceived modern economy. The defence in- rameters ensure that political decisions notions about intermediaries in a free dustry is a particularly good example go the right way. Not everyone involved market. This is not just someone doing to understand what differentiates an in the selection is on the payrolls of the quantifiable work, like assisting a client Indian middleman from his counter- agent. However, at every stage, there to make sense of the market or identify parts in most other economies. In this are key people on the take. For those the best partners, help efficient transfer sector, the intermediary normally pro- who do their bidding, the rewards are of technology, protect intellectual prop- vides a set of legitimate and important

34 April 2021 Opinion Express services, mostly to a foreign company that finds it difficult to navigate the pro- Some of India’s richest businessmen make their big curement process of the host country. He could, for instance, be assisting a profits playing the role of intermediaries. It is not small firm which cannot afford to open uncommon for a foreign diplomat or executive to a dedicated office in a country that is carrying out small-sized procurement. ask one about a particular industrialist—quite likely, In most countries, offsets—stipulation to procure or spend a significant part of he has offered his services to help swing a mega a contract in the buyer country—are in- deal. At the highest echelons of Indian decision tegral to defence contracts, and a local intermediary plays an important role making, it is hard to figure out who is a mere in executing them. These intermediar- middleman and who is a mere industrialist. ies are paid legitimate fees, and often a part of their fee is built into the contract making them offset or maintenance bribes, pay whoever needs to be paid, quite likely, he has offered his services partners. intimidate someone if required, and to help swing a mega deal. At the high- There is another critical function ensure that their clients have insider est echelons of Indian decision making, to be carried out in a fiercely competi- information on a contract from the very it is hard to figure out who is a mere tive economy, which is to ensure that a beginning of the process. They provide middleman and who is a mere industri- company’s views, not always wrong, are undue and unfair advantage. India has alist. heard and understood by decision mak- no formally recognized lobbying indus- When I was ushered in to meet a ers. For this function, the United States try, nor does it allow agents in govern- senior official of a European military of America has a flourishing lobbying ment contracts. But influential middle- consortium on an afternoon in Febru- industry, and several economies offi- men are an essential ingredient in any ary 2009, he was already a little high on cially permit lobbying with the govern- major government contract. wine and a little low because of the Indi- ment. Their task is not to pay bribes or Some of India’s richest businessmen an heat. We were an earshot away from manipulate, at least not officially. make their big profits playing the role of the thunderous take-offs and landings In the Indian economy, middlemen intermediaries. It is not uncommon for of the world’s leading fighter aircraft at play out their roles in the dingy back a foreign diplomat or executive to ask Aero India, a biennial aviation exhibi- rooms of decision making. They carry one about a particular industrialist— tion in Bangalore, now called Benga-

Opinion Express April 2021 35 luru. All the major aircraft manufactur- who prefer private transport in the sky. is trapped in the crushing embrace of ers were present to exhibit their latest The middlemen operating at the high-level corruption. The defence sec- to impress India, which had put out a highest levels of the Indian economy tor, however, is most instructive in our Rs 60,000 crore contract to acquire 126 enjoy monopoly, if not complete con- attempt to understand the power, influ- fighters for the Indian Air Force. Taking trol, over the sectors they operate in. ence and growth of powerful middle- off and landing with fury were the fin- The huge resources at their command men like Hinduja Family, Choudhrie, est and most expensive fighters in the give them the power to prop up govern- Win Chadda etc. world: F-18s and F-16s from the United ments and political parties. Senior civil States, MIG-35 jets from Russia and servants who are not corrupt say that all Let’s begin with a brief Euro fighters made by a European con- they can do is ensure that they remain history of India’s military sortium. A host of business and trans- clean personally. The CEO of a foreign modernization port jets were also vying for the atten- defence firm told me once that he had Since Independence, India has been tion of potential buyers. Aero India has to spend a million US dollars just to get heavily import-dependent for defence become one of the world’s largest avia- an appointment with a defence min- equipment, and in the initial decades, tion shows, thanks to the country’s sta- ister some years ago.Every aspect of up until it collapsed in the early 1990s, tus as the largest importer of military- economy—and not the defence sector most of the purchases were from the ware and its growing club of billionaires alone—where the government has a role Soviet Union. In the next decade, India

36 April 2021 Opinion Express litical upheaval that followed, the Con- gress party lost the 1989 election by a Indigenous military production significant margin. However, it has had no visible impact on India’s voracious accounts for a pitiful 30 per cent appetite for foreign military-ware. By 2012, India had displaced China of the country’s total armament as the world’s biggest importer of arms, requirements. The Indian as the Middle Kingdom took a sharp turn towards self-reliance. According government’s Defence Research to the Stockholm International Peace and Development Organization Research Institute (SIPRI)—the most dependable assessment data available— (DRDO) has been a massive India’s share of the volume of interna- failure, despite the eulogies that tional arms imports increased from 7 per cent to 14 per cent during 2009-13 the political and bureaucratic compared to the previous five years. In- formal estimates say that India could class regularly pay it. end up spending around Rs 6,70,000 crore on importing arms during this decade alone. Indigenous military production accounts for a pitiful 30 per cent of the country’s total armament requirements. The Indian government’s Defence Re- search and Development Organization (DRDO) has been a massive failure, despite the eulogies that the political and bureaucratic class regularly pay it. It has not been able to successfully master a single major military platform, except missiles. India does not have an indigenous battle tank or a fighter aircraft, both mainstays of its military operations. Military manufacturing here has in- sipid factories churning out crude products and working at the lowest end of the value chain. The few sophisticated systems that they make involve importing parts from abroad, assembling them into systems and stamping their tag on it. A few private players are now beginning to take baby steps in the weapons manufacturing industry, but it is too early to assess their effectiveness. The abject failure of its indigeni- zation efforts, combined with the re- did not make many purchases. Then been dragged into public scandals in curring conflicts India has had to deal the Kargil conflict with Pakistan in 1999 the defence sector, but none went so far with—several with Pakistan, one with churned things up. India went back to as conviction. China, and the many insurgencies—is the global arms bazaar with such ven- This is surprising in a country where what has turned the country’s military geance that, by 2012, it had become the a single defence scandal dramatically into a highly sought-after shopper in world’s largest importer of arms. Arms changed the political landscape in the the international arms market. Many dealers flourished, weaving cosy rela- 1980s. On 16 April 1987, a Swedish firms in the United States, Israel and tionships with political leaders, senior newspaper broke a story alleging that Europe, including Russia, have come military and civil officials, as well as artillery manufacturer Bofors had paid to depend on Indian orders to sustain other stakeholders in the system. There kickbacks to people in several countries, their profits. These foreign companies, has been much speculation about where including Sweden and India, to secure in turn, need deal makers to ensure that they meet, how they benefit and how a Rs 1,500 crore contract the previous the procurement process stays on track such huge kickbacks are moved around. year from the Indian Army to supply and to provide them with the smoke- To date, no Indian investigation agency 410 155-mm calibre howitzer guns. screen of deniability regarding the pay- has been able to nail a major arms deal- Those close to the incumbent prime ing of bribes. er or senior official for paying bribes or minister, Rajiv Gandhi, were accused ______accepting them. Many big names have of receiving kickbacks. In the huge po-

Opinion Express April 2021 37 Cryptocurrency Bill 2021: Shooting down the messenger? Move may hit 342 companies and an estimated 5 million users

Srinath Sridharan users involved in trading and holding tribute computer processing power and cryptocurrencies. Reports also suggest are rewarded for their efforts. The price he Indian government is planning that users holding on to these crypto- of these tokens is simply ruled by the to ban all operations of cryptocurrencies could be fined, once the new forces of demand and supply. Tcurrencies in the country, except law comes into effect, with probability The genesis for the idea for crypto- for a state-backed digital currency. The of them being given time to liquidate currencies is older than people believe. ban will be operationalised with a new their holdings. The 1980s saw the rise of the Internet law coming to effect. The Cryptocur- Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, and along with it the idea of a sovereign rency and Regulation of Official Digi- Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash, Monero and cyberspace, which would transcend tal Currency Bill of 2021 is slated to be Litecoin etc, are digital assets designed borders and free from all controls of introduced in the budget session of the to function as a medium of exchange nation states. But this utopian vision Parliament. In context of evolving digi- and records of ownership and trans- of a cyberspace still needed a currency tal finance globally, the Government of actions are kept on a decentralised- for people to carry out transactions and India should reconsider its thinking ledger called blockchain with strong conduct commerce. Following numer- about these new financial systems that cryptography. But these digital assets ous experiments to create this system, are being developed. are known as tokens are not issued by the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was The move is expected to hit the a central monetary authority and are created in the aftermath of the 2008 nascent field in India and impact 342 not backed by any physical asset. These global financial crisis. But its develop- companies and an estimated 5 million tokens are “mined” by users who con- ment was a culmination of various digi-

38 April 2021 Opinion Express tal peer-to-peer payments experiments. wholesale token (meant to be used by Bitcoin’s enigmatic creator(s?) Sa- banks and lenders subject to central toshi Nakamoto noted a fundamental CBDCs are a ‘virtual bank regulations). issue problem with fiat currency and store of value’ and they The modalities are still being worked the centralisation of finance. “The root out, but it could also serve as an excel- problem with conventional currency is can be converted to cash lent vehicle to push the central bank’s all the trust that’s required to make it in local currency at a plan to increase retail investors partici- work. The central bank must be trusted pation in the Government Securities. not to debase the currency, but the his- fixed rate. CBDCs tokens However, there is a risk to them. The tory of fiat currencies is full of breaches yield on government securities is a little of that trust,” he (or they). The distrust also would bear interest higher than bank deposit interest rates of central banks by early adopters of on the central bank’s and savers might find the returns on Bitcoin was probably fuelled by the ac- CBDCs more attractive than what banks tions of central banks which ultimately balance sheet. are offering, thus banks could lose of bailed out the erring investment banks their primary means of funding. which caused the 2008 financial crisis. As more savers move their money their backbone for maintaining an im- from demand deposits, it will force India & CBDC mutable ledger for the transactions that them to rely on costlier means of fund- Contrast this with what the govern- take place using these tokens. However, ing. Central banks also would be on the ment is attempting to do with its virtual while the blockchain on cryptocurren- risk on their balance sheet in the event currency. Essentially, the government of cies are open to public where everyone of another financial crisis and will have India is looking to introduce the idea of can view and authenticate transactions, to function as a crucial financial inter- Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) the blockchain on CBDCs are permis- mediary in those times. And if CBDCs where it acts as a digital representation sioned where limited entities can carry also take shape as a viable payment sys- of a country’s fiat currency and will be out the functions of authenticating and tem, it raises several privacy issues with backed by a suitable amount of mon- viewing transactions. the state being allowed to see all trans- etary reserves like gold or foreign cur- CBDCs are a ‘virtual store of value’ actions by a user. rency reserves. These digital fiats will and they can be converted to cash in CBDCs do bring interesting po- be regulated by the country’s monetary local currency at a fixed rate. CBDCs tential uses for the Indian economy in authority. tokens also would bear interest on the general and it’s heartening to see India In India’s case, this would fall in the central bank’s balance sheet. Currently join a growing list of countries like The jurisdiction of the Reserve Bank of In- there are two modes of CBDCs being Netherlands, China, Sweden, the United dia (RBI). Both CBDCs and cryptocur- developed in the world – a retail token States, Canada and Norway are looking rencies use blockchain technology as (meant for direct use by savers) and a to introduce a digital version of their

Opinion Express April 2021 39 currency. It is a worthwhile experiment ernment’s policy thinking to ban cryp- to follow, but it doesn’t make sense on tocurrencies might also stem from the why they cannot co-exist with existing The Supreme Court of narrative that they are used for terror cryptocurrencies. India had quashed the financing and money laundering. While during its inception, Bitcoin might have “Money for nothing?” RBI’s cryptocurrency been as used for conducting illicit deals Reading of the proposed crypto ban on the dark-web, today the cryptocur- indicates that the government might order in March 2020 rency-related crime is on the decline. believe that there is no intrinsic value giving a brief respite In 2020, the ‘criminal share’ of all in cryptocurrencies; and also might not cryptocurrency activity fell to just 0.34 like the way its value is pegged to market to cryptocurrencies per cent, or $10.0 billion, in transac- mechanism. In its first attempt to elimi- holders in the country tion volume, according to a report by nate cryptocurrencies was reactionary Chainalysis, a company the specialises as many people fell prey to shady oper- and saw the resumption in cryptocurrency investigations for ators posing as cryptocurrency compa- of services by different governments, exchanges and financial nies and the RBI issued a circular where institutions. The report also shows that it said that while cryptocurrencies were players. cryptocurrencies are almost never used not banned, it did bar entities regulated for terror financing and most cryptocur- by it, including banks, from providing rency-related crimes are scams, ransom services to any person or firm dealing when it is looking to stop all research ware, darknet market deals, and stolen with cryptocurrencies. into this space and innovations that it funds. The Supreme Court of India had is creating. It stands to reason of course. A mal- quashed the RBI’s cryptocurrency order This policy might have originated actor would have to be extremely stupid in March 2020 giving a brief respite to in protecting the interests of the com- to conduct terror financing on an im- cryptocurrencies holders in the country mon man. But this raises the question mutable ledger which can be seen and and saw the resumption of services by on who invests or cryptocurrencies? Is must be authenticated by all nodes on a different players. it the common man who buys Bitcoin or blockchain. In India, traditional offline Fundamentally, the Indian govern- HNIs? assets like real estate and gold still ac- ment thinking is ruled by the mantra While it is true that few cryptocur- count for most money laundering op- that “Blockchain is good, but cryptocurrencies might be inflated and there erations and financing mal-actors. rencies are bad.” It’s evident by the bul- could be few Ponzi schemes posing as Real estate is still not covered un- letin it put on the Lok Sabha where it crypto businesses, the Indian govern- der the Money Laundering Act while said that it would allow “certain excep- ment can issue detailed signposts and purchasing gold does not even require tions to promote the underlying tech- guidelines for investors planning to in- KYC. Legitimate cryptocurrencies in In- nology of cryptocurrency and its uses.” vest in them, like what the Australian dia have been pushing for better KYC to This seems contradictory statement government has done. The Indian gov- open wallets for cryptocurrency trans-

40 April 2021 Opinion Express actions. Government can extend these them by using a catch-all phrase called rencies are being used and traded, is requirements formally to cryptocurren- “private cryptocurrencies”. more akin towards a digital commodity. cies as well. Cryptocurrencies are traded directly The paucity of understanding can Who should regulate Crypto through exchanges and even through also be seen in the language the govern- in India ? financial derivatives like ETFs, options ment is using to describe non-CBDCs as The reluctance to engage with cryp- and futures, and contract for differenc- “private cryptocurrencies” and not using tocurrencies in India could emanate es (CFDs). Indeed, with the uncertain- established nomenclature. Cryptocur- from deciding on which regulator will ties in the world right now, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum have to deal with them. If it is treated rencies and decentralised finance were etc. are considered public cryptocur- as a currency, the burden of regulation the best performing asset class, beating rencies as users can view and verify would fall on the RBI. If it is considered gold, stocks, and other global commodi- all transactions and their details using a security or a commodity, the Securities ties in 2020. these tokens on a public ledger and the and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Cryptocurrencies are unviable as a blockchain used is open-sourced. Contrary to misperception that currency right now due to the massive Cryptocurrencies such as Monero, there are no regulatory frameworks changes in corrections and the time it Dash and Zcash on the other the hand for them now, the way how cryptocur- takes for a transaction to get authen- are designed to be private where trans- ticated by the various nodes on the action details are hidden. However, blockchain. Take for example the online these cryptocurrencies are still public Cryptocurrencies are games marketplace Steam’s decision to in the sense that they have public open stop purchases using Bitcoin. The com- ledgers, but transaction information is unviable as a currency pany explained that Bitcoin transaction obfuscated in varying degrees to protect right now due to the fees to buy a game shot up to $20 in the privacy of the end users. And then 2017. there are efforts like Facebook’s Libra, massive changes in Also due to the price volatility, if the now re-named Diem, that use a private corrections and the time price of Bitcoin shot up at the time of or permissioned blockchain where only transaction, Steam had to refund the a few trusted entities can keep a track it takes for a transaction difference to the user and conversely, of the ledger and allowed to mine the if the price went down the users had to tokens for its transactions. to get authenticated by pay the difference again. There is also an There are varying degrees of com- the various nodes on the engineering concern to consider as ev- plexity and innovation that can be ben- ery transaction needs to be authenticat- eficial people in general, but the govern- blockchain. ed by every node on the blockchain thus ment is dismissing and banning all of the time for a transaction increase.

Opinion Express April 2021 41 Currently, the time for confirming a Essentially, it functioned more like Don’t be cryptic or critical Bitcoin transaction is about 10 minutes. are a stable private currency which of Crypto yet Though there are efforts being made by could rival the US Dollar and less like The government’s push to ban all different cryptocurrencies to speed up a security. Hence, the project did not cryptocurrencies in the country is sim- the process of authentication for more take off. However, it clarified how it was ply throwing out the baby along with real-life use cases. But still, it is no- treating Bitcoin and said that they are the bath water. It is ironic that the In- where close where users can buy a cup not treating it as a security but rather as dian government is following the same of coffee using a cryptocurrency. a store of value and noted that its rise policy decisions as China, which banned With this in mind, the burden for was driven by the inefficiencies of the all cryptocurrencies as well in favour of regulating this new form of finance payment systems in the country. But in its digital fiat currency. The Indian gov- could fall in SEBI’s court. Ideally, SEBI both cases, it was made clear that they ernment should in all manners should should strongly consider allowing cryp- are not legal tender. emulate the idea that it is an alternative tocurrencies as part of its regulatory Japan takes a longer view of the eco- to China and not follow the same policy sandbox and combine its learnings from system. It does not consider cryptocur- prescriptions set by Beijing. jurisdictions like the United States, Ja- rencies as a security, nor does it treat it There is a risk that India will lose pan and Australia. on par with fiat currency. Considering out in the billions of dollars in the new the many use cases by different tokens, cryptocurrency –led world of finance by Learnings from US, Japan, it defines them under the broader um- enforcing the ban. There might be an- Australia brella of Crypto Assets. Exchanges are other brain-drain as more minds who Though the United States does not required to register themselves as pay- believe in cryto-finance will leave India consider cryptocurrencies as legal ten- ment service providers under its Pay- to set up shop in friendlier countries. der but recognizes crypto exchanges as ment Services Act. Thus, the underlying asset of all money transmitters as the tokens are Further, it requires these exchanges cryptocurrencies is the failure of gov- other value which substitutes curren- to maintain strict Know-Your-Custom- ernments globally and central banks to cy. While the Securities and Exchange er (KYC) records of investors and users provide better financial outcomes for Commission (SEC) recognises them as and comply with all anti-money laun- citizens. Thus, the best way to handle securities and is working on enacting dering and combating terror finance the proliferation of private cryptocur- securities law on them. Meanwhile, the rules (AML/CFT). In addition, the rencies is to make sure that state insti- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recogn- property rights framework will apply on tutions and fiat products work well for ises them as property and have guide- these crypto assets. retail participants. The Indian govern- lines for the same. Australia stated particularly that ment’s ban on cryptocurrencies is over- The United States also takes a prag- Bitcoin and other tokens which share its protective at best and at its worst, it matic approach to different offerings characteristics are considered property could be viewed as an attempt to main- and takes a case-by-case approach. For and will be subject to Capital Gains Tax. tain an iron grip on how its citizens use example, the SEC cracked down on Fa- In addition, it has now come out with their money. cebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project. detailed signposts and guidelines for As Libra used a private permissioned investors planning to invest in Initial (Writer is an independent markets blockchain and controlled the number Coin Offerings (ICOs) with clear warn- commentator and visiting fellow, of nodes, it was able to drive down the ings about these risks along with case Observer Research Foundation. time for a transaction and was also able studies. Shashidhar K.J. is an associate fellow, to control its price volatility. Observer Research Foundation)

42 April 2021 Opinion Express M&M is India’s top utility vehicle company Vishnu Makhijani dra” (DJ Media). successful? The answer to that is in the “Whether it was from luck or de- sub-title of the book: ‘Workhorse. Na- US aircraft manufacturer coined sign or such this has stood the test of tion Builder. Heart-throb. Defender. the term KISS -- Keep It Sim- time and since the last three decades Adventure Tool’. No other vehicle made Aple Stupid -- as it churned out at least I have seen the M&M manage- by any Indian OEM can carry these at- bombers by the dozens at the height of ment realise this, grudgingly at first, tributes like the Mahindra vehicles have the Second World War. An Indian com- and now steadfastly to realise that the and continue to do so,” Darukhanawala pany in the 1940s adopted the mantra neo-retro theme is one that even an added. and “concentrated on one simple diet Indian OEM with legacy can play in To this end, the book is a celebration of doing what they started with” by as- modern day times. How has it been so of the wide-reaching and multi-faceted sembling Willys jeeps to grow into one of the countrys largest makers of SUVs, says a new book on the company and which is perhaps the first definite work on Indias automobile industry. “The most obvious fact is that M&M have concentrated on one simple diet of doing what they started with and improving that from time to time. This genetic link has been seen visually and functionally played out in the various models from 1945 to the present and it is this symbiotic aspect that no other manufacturer has in its arsenal,” author Adil Jal Darukhanawala told IANS in an interview of his book “Timeless Mahin-

Opinion Express April 2021 43 impact of Mahindra utility vehicles for blind spots from the earlier period from “Learnt my craft with motorcycle every known application - and some 1945 onwards till the late 1980s when racing in my early years in Pune (we which not many can think of! The 75- not much was known as to how Indian used to build our own bikes and cars year journey of the company has gone industry functioned and there wasn’t for racing), started writing on motor- hand-in-hand with the evolution of the much chronicled stuff available. sport in 1977 and was the first in the early Willys vehicles - through their “The easy and only thing was to get to country to have my own weekly column many forms, applications and roles - meet and interview a lot of people asso- in a mainstream Indian newspaper on all as ingenious and innovative as the ciated with M&M (if they yet remained) automobiles from 1980 onwards,” Dar- unique Indian spirit of making things from that era and luckily there were a ukhanawala said. work. handful who shared a lot of knowledge He conceptualised and started In- Brimming with insightful stuff mas- and threw a great deal of light on the dia’s first automotive enthusiast (not terfully written with so many hitherto subject. Then there were enthusiasts of trade) magazine Car & Bike Interna- unheard of stories woven into these the marquee who had hands-on knowl- tional in June 1987. He helmed it till pages and illustrated with never-seen- edge of these cars so these were another June 1998 when he stepped out to con- before photographs to illuminate the source of valuable technical information ceptualise and head Overdrive maga- path, this journey of Mahindra & Ma- on the variou models made by M&M,” zine from September 1998 till April hindra from the first civilian 4x4 to the Darukhanawala explained. 2005. He conceptualised the country’s 21st century second-generation Thar There were also “hidden unheralded first 360-degree subject focussed media also mirrors the rise of a nation, and the gems” within M&M itself who came to vehicle for automobiles for the Times of aspirations of its people! the fore with their own stories and ex- India Group with ZigWheels which he periences. headed from November 2007 till March How did this book come about? “A lot of information was gleaned 2014. Thereafter, he was with the Zee “It came about thanks to the book from the firm’s annual reports but Group till May 2016 and then on his I had penned on the history of Ideal you had to know what you were look- own penning books and doing events. Jawa to coincide with the re-launch ing for and also where and when that He has penned 15 books to date and of Jawa motorcycles in India by Clas- happened. The hard graft was all about find the time to yet drive, ride and com- sic Legends after a gap of nearly 20-22 meeting people, pursuing leads, joining ment on the latest crop of motorcycles years. It was the first time any book had the dots, sifting folklore from reality, and cars. been written on the history of an Indian and pouring over the subject over and automotive manufacturer and (M&M over again,” the author added. What’s his next project? MD) Pawan Goenka saw this and was “There is a book on the centenary of impressed enough by it to ask me to do How did he get bitten by the auto- an automobile association in the coun- the same for Mahindra & Mahindra,” mobile bug? try which is in its final stages. Another Darukhanawala said. “There is way too much to say on book is on the history of motorsport in this but then how can a Parsi bawaji not India and yet another one being dis- In a way, the book has been a life- love bikes and cars? I was always sur- cussed is on the history of another In- time in the making. rounded by bikes and cars from as far as dian automobile manufacturer. As you “It was easy in a certain way for I I can recollect (from about 6-7 months can see I have my hands full plus yes, had lived the period from my formative from my birth indicated by images of me my YouTube channel is one other detail years as an automotive enthusiast in the with my father’s Norton motorcycle and that I am exploring,” Darukhanawala 1970s to writing on cars and bikes from other cars in the family) and this love concluded. the 1980s onwards. My own accumulat- affair has raged and raged and doesn’t (Vishnu Makhijani can be reached ed one helped. But then there were the see it ending at all. at [email protected])

44 April 2021 Opinion Express īśāna Yoga The New Normal A pilgrim, Yoga Therapist, Aspirant of Samkhya (an eastern philosophy). Shilpa GM is a South Indian girl from Bengaluru. Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with an array of job and life experiences. Here is a self-descriptive ex- citing story of an innovative en- trepreneur with a passion to promote India’s soft power of yoga globally. I startedmy career at a very young age. I grew up with my grand parents. My Grandpa always assigned me with work and paid a few bucks for my job. That kind of boosted my self confidence. I was a Y2K teenager. The concept of pocket money was already deteriorat- ing with the boom in the Indian BPOin- dustries, software companies back then.I took up part time jobs to refill my wallet.These jobs literally were learning experiences of my life. I worked as a Receptionist, Office Assistant, a call centerexecutive.And finally landed at a billion-dollar company Infosys. It defi- nitely had an impact on my outlook to business and work etiquettes. Studying personality traits handling situations, people accordingly is a quality that hashelped shape my professional life. Decade ago, Imoved to Mumbai, in pursuit of a creative life. I started working with the very first international modeling agency in Mumbai. To secure a first of its kind designation as a Head Booker in Indiaitself was trailblaz- ing experience. The job brought luxe, perks and more challengeseach day, it was fun though. Having associated with Karl Lagerfeld fashion house models are special cherished moments. Rewind: As a child, I had an enquiring mind. I would always be curious to learn the know how of everything that interested me.I was a Volleyball captain in school. That’s where I started taking my physical education seriously. Through times, my interest in physical fitness has only grown. Fitness freak, always a regular at the gym. I was physically fit but lacked mental well- ness. That’s when I turned to Yoga. My enquiring mind took me to right places and people. I have learnt the Art &Sci-

Opinion Express April 2021 45 ence of Yoga from one of the oldest traditional schools. I have been religiously practicing and training Yoga for the last Q&A 9 years now. How to protect body and mind in todays stressed working With constant learning, practice scenario? and exploring the art of Yoga, I came A. Like I mentioned above in my own story. Majority of the population up with an idea tostart a one-of-a-kind thrive in building bodies and completely neglect the mind. We see people Pop-up Yoga studio called īśāna Yoga in mindlessly running on a treadmill without even observing theirbodies. 2016. The aim is travel places and trans- Yoga is the only form of exercise to teach mind, body co ordination & form lives.Ever since I have traveledex- synchronization. There are various Asanas, Pranayamas, Kriyas to protect tensively and trained myriad yogic aspi- the mind and body to beat the stress if taught and practiced correctly. rants across the country and globe. īśāna Yoga offers Yogic sessions ac- What doesīśānaYOGA has a final objective to offer for its cordingly studying the body type. It’s followers? more of a therapy than physical exer- A. Post pandemic times are crucial. Value for time and money and cise. It’s designed to enhance the body, teaching the genuine art of Yoga is what we aim at. To gain one client us mind and spirit. easy but to retain the one is where youspeak for yourself. I’m proud that we It is a unique blend of Ashtanga and have so far had retained our clients and numbers have only grown. Hatha Yoga. The intense sessions are a combination of physical, mental and What not has been taught in the name Yoga? soul enhancing activities. The sessions A.I remember an instance, one of my clients from Stockholm, caters all age group. Anyone willing to narratedher life-threateningexperience in the name of Yoga.It’s quite enhance their health and lifestyle are unfortunate. welcome. The response from the aspi- There are major Do’s & Don’ts. The principles of Yoga that should be rants have been overwhelming. It’s al- strictly followed by its teachers and students. I have noticed how many ways a happy feeling to enrich lives. schools wrongly teach Pranayama. Prana is subtle force in a loving being. We have a trained and certified team You can’t mess up with the breathing techniques. who share the same passion for Yoga This is what īśānaYoga team offers to its followers, we believe in and life. Through the pandemic we have propagating the genuine form of Yoga. We carefully study the body type been conducting online Yoga sessions and personalize Yogic sessions to the clients. Yoga as it means is a beautiful for aspirants from New York, Swedan, blend of mind, body and spirit and we promise that very experience to our Dubai, London, Indonesia, Thailand aspirants. and more. In India, cosmopolitan cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi, Kerala, Goa, Pondicherry, Benaras, Kolkata- form a major clientele. 2020 has beenyear of introspec- tion globally. The times we have been through has realigned our choices in lifestyle. We had many turning to Yoga. I and my team members have constant- ly worked throughout the year remod- eling mind and immune boosting yogic online sessions to our clientele. A recent expedition to Hampi (co- rona free zone) in January this year marked myfirst physical Yoga session for a month with the aspirant’spost covid times. Thoroughly enjoyed the one on one with the yogis. Look forward for many more. Hoping we sail through the pandemic times open up to the world again. In a current scenario, we have learnt that Health is and will always be the greatest wealth for the mankind. A quick tip from īśāna Yoga would be “Inhale happiness and Exhale the mad- ness. In my spare time I contribute my Yogic learning and tips to one of the leading Yoga Magazine called Yoga And Total Health for The Yoga Institute in Mumbai.

46 April 2021 Opinion Express Opinion Express April 2021 47 Time to have a disaster plan for your home Geetika Khanna

isasters never knockon doors before they arrive. A sudden Dcloudburst with the looming threat of a flood, a tremor which leaves us with the imminent danger of stronger aftershocks, unforeseen riots that rage through cities and neighbourhoods turning everything to dust in a wave of destruction, or now, the fact that a tiny invisible virus can change our lives almost overnight. Haven’t we all felt that deep sense of dread in the pit of our stomachs when we think of these sce- narios? This concern gets compounded when we are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of our families. More often than we realise, we worry about the safety of our loved ones, aged parents, the young dependent on us and our pets more than our own selves. Studies show any form of natural or man-made disas- that physically, financially and emo- ter. Aiming to be the one stop knowl- tionally, we as a society and individual Disasters cause edge centre for all those who seek help units are ill prepared to deal with such and advice to protect themselves from disasters. While most large organisa- disruptions to families, future disasters and to set a global stan- tions spend a large part of their annual organisations and the dard in disaster preparedness for indi- budgets in building and updating their viduals, their families and their homes, business continuity and crisis plans, community alike, the Silver Lining is the first initiative of its homes and households usually are be- casualties being many - kind in India. reft of such a plan. Security experts with decades of Disasters cause disruptions to fami- Social, environmental, experience of having worked with or- lies, organisations and the community economic, financial ganisations like the UN provide person- alike, the casualties being many - Social, alised evacuation plans customised to environmental, economic, financial and and loss of life, most of the terrain, type of structure, number loss of life, most of which seem beyond of family members, special vulnerabil- our control. The year gone by has shown which seem beyond our ity tests that include potential risk spots without a doubt that as emergencies control. and a hazardous equipment and repair and disasters, along with their destruc- strategy if required, personalised mock tive effects rise all over the world, to be drills for the chosen disaster, panic and empowered with knowledge and apply- mation, advisory and solutions portal anxiety relief exercise course, self-de- ing it for safeguarding our lives, is the dedicated to individual family units, it fence course, security audits, insurance only effective way to prevent disasters also provides curated disaster manage- and financial needs (Expert advice if re- and reduce their adverse impact. It goes ment plans tailored to suit a specific quired) and a bi-annual assessment of without saying that trained people will family. The plan for someone living in emergency preparedness ( relief Kit and be better prepared to face a disaster and a high-rise building for example, would documents). what it brings in its aftermath. Disaster be completely different from someone Silverlining-global.com is dedi- preparedness is an effective, functional, who lives in an independent house, or cated to providing on time and highly operational, and cost-effective tool for for a family that has pets will have dif- effective solutions for all your disaster risk management. The ultimate aim is ferent parameters when compared to a related challenges ensuring that you to create a culture of safety and resil- family that has an individual with spe- are EMPOWERED, INFORMED and ience at all levels. cial needs. Silver Lining is committed PREPARED the next time a disaster As pioneers in the field of security to offering affordable detailed tailored strikes. Reach out to an expert to book and crisis response Silver Lining, a plans and preparation checklists for your plan now. Call +91 9141680287 team of global security experts, aims to all its members in order to safeguard or write in at info.silverlining-global@ fill that void. Not only is this an infor- themselves and their loved ones from mynetsec.com

48 April 2021 Opinion Express On the trail of 12 Indian fugitives Danish Khan & Ruhi Khan

t a time when a British court has ordered the extradition of dia- Amantaire Nirav Modi to India to stand trial in a Rs 13,500 crore bank fraud after dismissing arguments of his “mental health concerns,” saying they are not unusual in a man in his circum- stances, while that of billionaire Vijay Mallya, also accused of financial crimes, hangs in the balance, a new book delves into 12 extraordinary cases over seven decades that have seen London emerge as a safe haven for those who want to escape the law in India and unravels the legal quagmire that has caused much debate in Her Majesty’s courts - and consternation in New Delhi’s corridors of power. In ‘Escaped: True Stories of Indian Fugitives in London’ (Penguin), Dan- ish Khan and Ruhi Khan, through eye- witness accounts and archival records, delve into these 12 cases to decode why London is an irresistible siren for In- dian fugitives. More than throwing the spotlight on the ultra-luxe worlds of Modi and Mal- lya, the book also uncovers the complex ownership of their UK assets and brings to life the intense courtroom battles involving them. The book also chronicles the saga of cricket bookie Sanjeev Chawla, now dispatched to India, and that of music director Nadeem Saifi, charged with the murder of music baron Gulshan Ku- mar. Saifi had fled to the UK in 2001 but the London High Court rejected the Indian government’s request for his extradition on the ground that there was no prima facie case against him. The request met a similar fate in the House of Lords while a sessions court in Mumbai exonerated him after a key prosecution witness turned hostile. Saifi chose not to Raijada, accused of murdering their ad- a newly independent India managed to return to India and eventually acquired opted child. bring back two powerful industrialists, British citizenship. Then, the book reveals the inside Dharma Jayanti Teja, and Mubarak Ali The book explores how drug lord story of how Lt Commander Ravi Shan- Ahmed, who were involved in financial Iqbal Mirchi and terror accused Hanif karan (retd), the alleged spy in what crimes. Patel evaded extradition, and inves- is known as the Navy War Room Leak (Danish Khan is a journalist and tigates the loopholes that saved con- Case, was set free. historian living in London. Ruhi victed paedophile Raymond Varley and On the plus side, the book takes a Khan is a London-based independent NRI parents Arti Dhir and Kaval Kaval trip through history as it recounts how journalist. )

Opinion Express April 2021 49 Jewellery that suits modern women’s sensibilities Puja Gupta

here has been a significant rise in demand when it comes to pur- Tchasing jewellery in tier 2 and 3 cities, says Dipu Mehta, Managing Director, ORRA -- a diamond jewellery brand Orra has launched new category of jewellery for the growing base of young women consumers. The collection is called ‘Desired’ and is designed to suit the more modern sensibilities of the young woman who is confident and unafraid to carry off her individual style, says Mehta. IANSlife spoke to him to know about how the industry will shape in 2021, and how demands are growing in tier 2 and 3 cities. Excerpts:

Tell us about the new collection and the inspiration behind it. Mehta: ‘Desired’ collection has been designed to target the millennials who ly the older generations since we are are far bolder and edgier in their style primarily a diamond bridal jewellery choice. This collection is crafted in 14kt brand. However, with the growing in- rose gold with rings, earrings, pendants, terest of youngsters in diamond jewel- lariats (layered necklaces) and bracelets lery across the country, we see a huge in diamond studded as well as bold gold potential in catering to them and hence jewellery. For the first time, ORRA has we have launched this collection. The launched even gold jewellery in 14kt youngsters need more trendy designs gold. This collection has been designed and lighter, edgier designs and that is to suit the more modern sensibilities exactly what ‘Desired’ is. of the young woman who is confident and unafraid to carry off her individual How do you see the demand from style. tier 2 and 3 cities? How have the Hence this collection is crafted to choices and buying trends evolved ensure that you can mix and match in these areas? different jewellery to achieve any look cally designed a collection targeting the Mehta: With our retail presence in you wish to, either for an evening out younger consumer. tier 2 and 3 cities, we have seen a sig- with your girls or a lounge date night. nificant rise in demand when it comes This collection focuses on layering and How do you think the industry to purchasing jewellery as exposure to stackable jewellery. will do in 2021? brands is increasing over time. They are The inspiration behind this collec- Mehta: We are optimistic about the now unafraid to move from their local tion has been Disha Patani whom we growth in the industry. With the intro- jewellers and are showing confidence in have signed on as our brand ambassa- duction of Covid-19 vaccines we expect trusted national brands like ORRA. dor. Her style and confidence and the the things to get normalized. The de- ease with which she carries herself, has mand for jewellery will be existent since What is ORRA’s business strategy been our biggest inspiration. the desire for women to adorn jewellery for the near future? is always going to be there. Mehta: We are very positive of Has the pandemic changed the de- growth post Covid and we will get back sign philosophy? Are sales steadily increasing, led on track in terms of expansion plans Mehta: The pandemic has had no by millennials & younger buyers? that were in full throttle before the pan- hand in changing our design philoso- Mehta: The sales have been more demic. Our focus will remain on innova- phy as Disha has been our muse. This positive and getting back to normalcy. tion in diamond jewellery and customer is the first time that we have specifi- But our loyal customer base is large- service par excellence.

50 April 2021 Opinion Express