Vol: 25 | No. 10 | October 2017 | R20 www.opinionexpress.in A MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE REVIVALCOVER STORY POSSIBLE? The decline of the grand old party of India is not in the interest of the country. It must go for collective leadership to fight back Thank You BIPL %DODML,QIUD3URMHFWV/LPLWHG www.balaji.co.in www.dighiport.in editorial Congress is gradually RNI UP–ENG 70032/92, Volume 25, No 10 EDITOR Prashant Tewari evaporating from the ASSOCiate EDITOR Dr Rahul Misra POLITICAL EDITOR Indian political scene Prakhar Misra genuine center-left national opposition party like the Congress is crucial to the BUREAU CHIEF health of our democracy but Congress party is hell bent on self destruction to Gopal Chopra (DELHI), Diwakar Shetty offer power on platter to BJP. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his cam- (MUMBAI), Sidhartha Sharma (KOLKATA), A Lakshmi Devi (BANGALORE ) DIvyash Bajpai paign trail called for a ‘Congress-mukt’ Bharat, probably even he didn’t imagine that we (USA), KAPIL DUDAKIA (UNITED KINGDOM) would be here so soon. The Congress now has just 10 per cent of Rajiv Agnihotri (MAURITIUS), Romil Raj the seats in the Lok Sabha and rules just 7 per cent of the country Bhagat (DUBAI), Herman Silochan (CANADA), at the state level. I do believe however, that a genuine center-left Dr Shiv Kumar (AUS/NZ) national opposition party is a key to the health of our democracy. CONTENT partner For decades after formal independence in 1947, Congress com- The Pioneer Pratham Pravakta pletely dominated the Indian political stage at the national and state levels. Until it was ousted in 1996, the party had held office LegaL AdviSORS Vishnu Sharma Adv continuously at the national level with the exception of two three- Vijai Krishna Adv year terms. Today, the party is shadow of its former self. Its claims MARKETING DIRECTOR to stand for the interests of the masses are in tatters and its bases Diwakar Shetty of support are rapidly dwindling. ADMINIStrative DIRECTOR The Indian National Congress is a “sinking ship”; many of us have heard that by now. Amit Pandey Yet it’s a bit astonishing to think how far the political party has fallen. After all, until re- Bal Mukund Gaur cently the history of Congress ran almost in parallel with the history of India itself, to an Corporate COMMUNICation / PR extent where the line between these histories seemed blurred. Leaders of Congress were Sanjay Mendiratta the leaders of India and a large part of the Indian Freedom Movement owed its existence M M Upadhaya to this “grand old party,” which was not just a political party, but an umbrella organiza- GRAPHICS & DESIGN tion where different schools of thought used to co-exist together. Writeword Commuications (Studio 8) From Gandhi to Jinnah, from Nehru to Bose, from Tilak to Gokhale, Congress itself Photographer contained people poles apart from each other ideologically. And yet it not only remained Ratan Shukla as one party, but went on to define the political system itself in India, leading Dr. Rajani OVERSEAS MARKETING Kothari to coin the term “Congress System.” The organizational structure of Congress OEMCL Ltd (Mauritius), OEHCL ltd (DUBAI) was so deep-rooted and entrenched that it reached to the grassroots level, to the last AdvertiSEMENT / CIRCULation: man, as a part of Gandhian idealism. But Congress couldn’t uphold these ideals of work- Delhi / NCR - Hemant Sharma: D 239 Defence Colony New Delhi 110024 INDIA ing on the ground for as long as the people of India hoped it would. Much of Congress’ Tel – 011 49060350 dominance at the center as well as the state level was due to the fact that people voted Mumbai - Vijay Kalantri – Advisor: New in the name of Congress, which had won freedom for the country. People felt almost ExcelsIor BUILDING, 6tH Floor, A.K. NAYAK indebted to the party and continued to bring them back to power in the hope that Swara- MARG, Fort, MUMBAI - 400001 (INDIA). jya (self-rule) would actually be realized on the ground and the days of Ram Rajya (the Phone: 91 - 22 - 22019265 / 22019160 idyllic rule of Rama), which Gandhi used to mention in his speeches and writings, would FAX : 91-22- 22019764 / 22019760 come. People waited for years, but neither Swarajya nor Ram Rajya came about. Instead, The magazine is published and printed by Rajiv the people realized, nepotism and corruption were increasing day by day in the political Agnihotri for Opinion Express Communications & Entertainments Pvt Ltd, from Kumpu Graphic system. It was not Ram Rajya, but the Raaj of one family — the Gandhi family. The family Press 2 Ashok Nagar, Lucknow & printed at alone accounts for three prime ministers, who ruled the country for around 37 years, be- Kumpu Graphic Press 2 Ashok Nagar, Lucknow tween 2004 to 2014 another ten years of governance in the 21st century was also largely – 226001 Tele : 91-522-4060880 & led by the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty. Nikhil Offset An ISO 9001 : 2008 Certified Company 223, DSIDC Complex, Okhla Industrial Surely just blaming Sonia and Rahul Gandhi is unjustified; the entire Congress lead- Area Phase - I, New Delhi - 110020 Tele : 91- ership must take responsibility for pushing incompetent leadership of mother & son 26812316, 26810097, 26810458, FAX:91 leading to a historic collapse of the iconic party in General Election 2014. The Congress 45792362 E-Mail : [email protected], has been hijacked by Sonia Gandhi with her certain cronies since 1999 – the intra party [email protected] Registered Office: OPINION EXPRESS HOUSE elections were ignore and AICC / PCC sessions never took place as per the original con- 24-A Clyde Road, Lucknow-226001 (India) stitution of the party. It is a pity that certain section in the Congress party has the moral Phone: 91-522-4060880 courage to push for Rahul and Priyanka leadership despite availability of very competent Fax: 91-522-2208242 # 24x7 senior leaders in the party. This physiological fear and extreme sycophancy of all experi- mobility +91 9984437000 email: [email protected] enced leaders will put anybody to shame. Two former Congress Prime Minister late PV All disputes are subject to be under jurisdiction of Narsimha Rao and Dr Manmohan Singh has successfully demonstrated that they can courts in Delhi. run the system better than Sonia and Rahul but Congressmen have to believe the fact All content published may be subject to copyright, that party can be run successfully without Gandhi family or the figure of 44 seats will seek written permission to re-produce. Opinion Express is trade mark brand of Opinion Express further go down in General Elections 2019. Communications & Entertainment Private Limited. —Prashant Tewari, Editor-in-Chief OPINIon EXPRESS OCTOBER 2017 3 A Monthly News Magazine OCTOBER 2017 Cover STory What After Disaster? Will Congress Grow if Rahul Gandhi Steps Down? P 6-19 Take reform Tesla Model 3 India 20 to fuel launch and price Booster 23 Shot P 50 P 47 Weathering out the weather MUGHAL-E-AZAM catastrophes ICoNIC oN STAGE 28 Too Public service and 33 the Pravasi Cybercity, a vision of Africa’s 40 ‘smart’ future? Re-assessing the legacy of 44 pv narasimha rao 4 OCTOBER 2017 OPINIon EXPRESS India exposes Pak Pakistan cuts a sorry figure at the UN as its ploy to tarnish India through a fake picture gets exposed OE News Bureau to External Affairs Minister Sushma his spokesperson Brian Varma said, “I Swaraj. don’t think the PGA has a role, but I will ndia exposd Pakistan at the United The picture of the injured girl that look into it.” Nations saying it has callously ex- Lodhi displayed was that of Rawya Abu Tripathi help up both pictures and Iploited the picture of an injured Pal- Jom’a taken in July 2014 and published directed attention to the photograph of estinian girl to spread falsehoods about by The New York Times in March 2015 the Indian soldier and said, “This is a India and divert attention from Islam- under the caption, “Conflict, Courage real picture and not a fake picture of Lt. abad’s role as the hub of world terror- and Healing in Gaza,” Tripathi pointed Umar Faiyaz. A young officer from the ism. Paulomi Tripathi, a First Secretary out. Caught using a fake picture, a Paki- Indian State of Jammu and Kashmir, in India’s UN Mission, held up the pho- stani diplomat made the bizarre state- Umar Fiayz was kidnapped at a wedding tograph of the body of Lt. Umar Faiyaz, ment that “backing up debates with reception. He was brutally tortured and a young soldier from the Indian state of pictures has backfired” on India while killed by Pakistan-supported terrorists Kashmir who was tortured and killed by responding to Tripathi. in May 2017.” Pakistan-backed terrorists, surrounded Tipu Usman, a Counsellor at the “This is a true picture,” she said. “It by mourners, and a picture of Paalestin- Pakistani Mission, told the Assembly, portrays a harsh reality. A picture of ian girl claiming she was Kashmiri. “India is seeking to hide behind a pic- terror emanating from across our bor- Tripathi told the Assembly the pho- ture.” ders that the people of India, especially tograph of Faiyaz “is a true picture” and Asked at his daily briefing if the in the Jammu and Kashmir have to it “reflects the real pain inflicted by the President of the General Assembly struggle with everyday.” nefarious designs of Pakistan on India,” (PGA), Miroslav Lajcak could do any- “This was the reality that the Perma- contrasting it with the fake picture used thing about fake pictures being used nent Representative of Pakistan sought by Lodhi on Saturday while reacting at the Assembly as was done by Lodhi, to obfuscate,” Tripathi said.