Vol: 22 | No. 6 | June 2014 | R20 www.opinionexpress.in A MONTHLY NEWS MAGAZINE COVER STORY INDIA MODIFIED It’s a wave very few could see. However, sheer disenchantment with UPA, makes Modi a phenomenon editorial Modi leads BJP to RNI UP–ENG 70032/92, Volume 22, No 6 EDITOR PRASHANT TEWARI a historic victory ASSOSIATE EDITOR DR RAHUL MISRA ight months after the BJP named him its prime ministerial candidate, Na- POLITICAL EDITOR rendra Modi, 63, proved he was worth the opposition the party originally PRAKHAR MISRA Eencountered over its decision. Mr Modi has delivered the BJP’s best result BUREAU CHIEF ever, giving it more than the 272 seats it needs to form a gov- GOPAL CHOPRA (DELHI), VEELAAS KENJALE ernment. This is the first parliamentary majority by a single (MUMBAI), SOUMEN ACHARYA (KOLKATA), LAKSHMI party since 1984. DEVI ( BANGALORE ) DIVYASH BAJPAI (USA), KAPIL DUDAKIA (U.K.) RAJIV AGNIHOTRI (MAURITIUS), India has won, good days are coming, Mr Modi said at a ROMIL RAJ (DUBAI), HERMAN SILOCHAN (CANADA), rally in Vadodara in his home state of Gujarat, where thou- YASHWANT AMIN (AUS/NZ) sands chanted his name. In a clear message to those who have CONTENT PARTNER tagged him a polarising leader, he said, “Even if we’ve clear PRATHAM PRAVAKTA majority to run the government, it’s our responsibility to take everyone along in running India.” LEGAL ADVISOR Through his campaign, Mr Modi had vowed to reboot ASHOKA KUMAR THAKUR the economy and deliver efficient governance -he said today “development for MARKETING DIRECTOR all” would be his mission. With its allies, the BJP now has over 300 of the 543 DIWAKAR SHETTY parliamentary seats. The stunning numbers provide incontrovertible evidence of ADMINITRATION DIRECTOR the “Modi wave” that the BJP name-dropped for months. The twin headline to BAL MUKUND GAUR Mr Modi’s phenomenal win is the colossal defeat that he has enforced upon the incumbent Congress. Headed by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the party has crashed to CORPORATE COMMUNICATION its worst performance with less than 50 seats after 10 years in power. SANJAY MENDIRATTA Modi himself has been elected to parliament from Vadodara and the holy city of GRAPHICS & DESIGN Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, which he is expected to choose as his constituency. GREY CELLS The multinational search effort for the aircraft is the largest and most expen- ONLINE PRESENTATION sive in aviation history.The search began in the Gulf of Thailand and the South AMIT SONI China Sea, where the aircraft’s signal was last detected on secondary surveillance radar, and was soon extended to the Strait of Malacca and Andaman Sea. Analy- PHOTOGRAPHER sis of satellite communications between the aircraft and Inmarsat’s satellite com- RATAN SHUKLA munications network concluded that the flight continued until at least 08:19 and OVERSEAS MARKETING flew south into the southern Indian Ocean, although the precise location cannot OEMCL (MAURITIUS), OEHCL (DUBAI) be determined. Australia took charge of the search on 17 March when the search ADVERTISEMENT / PR / CIRCULATION DELHI / moved to the southern Indian Ocean. On 24 March, the Malaysian government NCR: CAPT. VINAY GOYAL DHRUV JANAK & CO. R -51 noted that the final location determined by the satellite communication is far from BASEMENT, RAMESH PARK,LAXMI NAGAR,DELHI-92 any possible landing sites, and concluded that “Flight MH370 ended in the south- TELE: +919871232631FAX: 011-22056817 ern Indian Ocean.” MUMBAI: VIJAY KALANTRI - ADVISOR NEW EXCELSIOR BUILDING, 6TH FLOOR, A.K. NAYAK The law allows doctors to kill a child if they and their parents consent, and MARG, FORT, MUMBAI - 400 001 (INDIA). there is thought to be no treatment for their intense suffering. They must also be PHONE: 91 - 22 - 2201 9265 / 2201 9160 FAX : assessed by a psychologist and be “capable of discernment.” One man in the public 91-22- 2201 9764 / 2201 9760 gallery shouted “murderers” in French when the vote was passed after what had The magazine is published and printed by Rajiv been a heated debate between lawmakers the previous day, according to Reuters. Agnihotri for Opinion Express Communications To become entrenched in law, the bill needs to be signed by the country’s mon- & Entertainments Pvt Ltd, from 2 Ashok Nagar, arch, King Philippe, but this is seen as a formality.Euthanasia, the act of a doctor Lucknow And printed at Kumpu Graphic Press directly killing a patient, has seen a rapid rise in popularity for adults in Belgium, EDITORIAL & CORPORATE OFFICE: where it was legalized in 2002. The Netherlands and Luxembourg are the only OPINION EXPRESS HOUSE 24 - A CLYDE ROAD, countries where the practice is legal. LUCKNOW-226001 (INDIA) PH: 91-522-4045728/4060880 FAX: 91-522- However the elections in five states have proved that BJP is not unbeatable. 4060880 24X7 MOBILITY +91 9984437000 Wherever the opposition has a slightly good leadership to answer back BJP with the Email: [email protected] capacity to consolidate anti BJP vote, BJP can be defeated. Though various states All content published may be subject to copyright, have formidable regional leaders, the nation has absolutely none. As long as Rahul seek written permission to re-produce. Opinion Gandhi is the perceived choice for PM against Modi, irrespective of how much he has Express is trade mark brand of Opinion Express improved, he comes absolutely nowhere near Modi. Sonia is getting old and keeping Communications & Entertainment Private Limited a bit unwell to really run around amassing support. All disputes are subject to be under jurisdiction of —Prashant Tewari , courts in Delhi. Editor-in-Chief OPINION EXPRESS JUNE 2014 3 June 2014 COVER STORY: P6-17 UPA BACK TO POWER NEIGHBOURHOOD TIGERS TAMED P18-23 ENTERTAINMENT P42-44 P32-36 OPENING OF DOORS NUKE MENACE DEFIANT KOREA In News: The coming of age of Rahul Money matters A stress test for world P5 Gandhi P37and how India is best placed Concerns: The clear and present AIAI news: Iran for better relations P22danger of taliban menace P47with India US politics: The road ahead for Gopio world: GOIPO helps Hoover P29Barrack Obama P49 Medal Board to honour Kalam IN NEWS ho is the real Rahul Gandhi? An upstart with childish retorts, or a master strategist? A mama’s boy, or a leader in his own right? WA destiny’s child, or the one who makes his own destiny? One must accept that Elections-2009 has given answer to most of these questions. Rahul Gandhi, the scion of arguably the first family of Indian politics has evolved from his protected self. Years of grooming in the hinterland politics is clearing show- ing its result. And the verdict has given a decisive judgement on the 38-year-old Gandhi’s acumen as a campaigner and political tactician. If one talks of stats, Congress won nearly 60% of seats where he went to campaign for his party’s candidate. And in UP, where he has been devoting much of his time, Congress sprang back to life with 21 seats, from 9 in 2004. If one talks of stats, Congress won nearly 60% of seats where he went to campagin for his party’s candidate. And in UP, where he has been devoting much of his time, Congress sprang back to life with 21 seats, from 9 in 2004 Somewhere in the course of the cam- paign, he changed from an apprentice politician to a tactician, shunning and wooing allies with the ease of a natural. He gambled on Congress going it alone in Uttar Pradesh, and it paid off handsome- EVOLVED POLITICIAN: RAHUL GANDHI ly. He complimented Nitish Kumar, Chandrababu Naidu and the Left, leaving party leaders confused and allies fuming. Rahul was setting the political agenda COMING OF AGE on his terms. He could be king right away. But he has chosen not to. Instead of don't respond to his comments." It came proved a tireless campaigner. And it can basking in the glory in Delhi, he reached on the back of a dismissive description be said with some evidence that he struck Sultanpur in UP with sister Priyanka to from Narendra Modi who compared Rahul a chord with the youth across the country. thank his voters. Surely, the man is dif- to an aquarium fish. The show may only have begun, feel par- ferent. Inside a month, on a hot sunny tymen. His focus has been UP, which he knows is key for Congress to regain its old glory. Saturday, the saffron brass was left lick- With UPA back in power with more Expect him to possibly change the leader- ing its wounds as everything with a stamp strength, now his primary goal is to reju- ship by bringing in someone younger. of the Gandhi family scion — strategy and venate the party cadre in UP. With people Midway through the high-voltage cam- candidates — came up trumps, leaving a of UP already showing signs of disen- paigning came a patronizing snub from virtual carnage in the BJP camp. chantment with the BSP regime, he can BJP chief Rajnath Singh when he refused For a man to have clocked 125 meet- have his best shot in the 2012 state to react to a barb from Rahul Gandhi: "I ings, covering 87,000km, Rahul also polls. OPINION EXPRESS JUNE 2014 I 5 COVER STORY MAN OF THE MOMENT COVER STORY Thumbs Up For Brand Manmohan It’s a mandate that has surprised all, including Congress. Result: Manmohan Singh becomes only the second Prime Minister after Jawahar Lal Nehru to be re-elected to the chair JOY OF VICTORY: IT’S CELEBRATION TIME FOR THE CONGRESS FAMILY Prashant Tewari eople of India have delivered a clear verdict, In the highly polarised and seem- ingly unpredictable general election of 2009 at a historic threshold of coalition politics in the country, the Indian people have given a clear-cut thoughtful ver- dict by voting for stability, predictability and moderation.