Making Brand India International

We are living in an era when transforming changes are going on and we need to reflect on the future direction of nation that had lost the course in last few decades. India of tomorrow has to be efficient and global in outlook. At the same time it has to keep in touch with its roots and culture. This synthesis that is the core of Modi thinking constitutes basic fabric of building blocks that would create the future of the country.

We are witnessing a thrust to efficiency and productivity of working of the government already. Ministers are ready at 9AM and when they go to office many of their staff are missing as the old habits die hard. There is no doubt a lot more input is needed from all the members of cabinet and the staff for the government to deliver the promises it has made to the public. No longer laid back culture of reaching office in the afternoon or whenever one finds convenient is acceptable as the boss himself sets the pace by starting his work early in the morning. Return of activism in leadership and enunciating the clear directions of goals can motivate all the members of the team. In fact Modi is working as if a hardworking CEO of an organization that is determined to turnround the organization is working relentlessly and handing down the decisions in an earlier culture of slow and indecisive environment in the government. Take the case of Ganga restoration originally 20,000 crores were allocated but for last ten year only paltry sum of 900 crores could be utilized due to sheer lethargy and lazy style of working of the government. In the meantime drains and filth continued to pore in the sacred river which has become virtually a drain itself. More than ten years back when I first time went to Varanasi for work I found drains running into river and I took many pictures to file a PIL but later I came to know already some have been filled. Nothing came out of it. Most astounding fact is that no meeting of the board that had to monitor the work took place and at the top of it Prime Minister who was heading the project himself did not attend single meeting in 10 years. One can imagine how things will move and how the decks will be cleared.

But the thrust on Ganga cleaning is the Indian message to the world for conservation of environment and culture of the country that the sacred river represents.

There is complete emphasis on technology and high tech working with all the Ministries preparing PDF of their projects and monitoring it . The fact that all tenders will go on line shows that it is going to usher in transparency that was missing all along in the working of Ministries. There is open working in public domain and no clandestine functioning allowed by sheer use of technology itself and monitoring the work through e governance.

If Steve jobs could come to an Ashram in India and learn the importance of intuition that helped him to innovate and give the world new vision of computer age why it is not possible for India to retain its core culture and also be global?

First time  I introduced Yoga and prayer for MBA students in Fore School of management, New Delhi  that I founded, critics laughed at it as it seemed anachronistic to them. But I maintained our credo ‘  We are more Indian and yet we are more International’

When Japan was transforming itself from rubble of devastation left by World War II, they adopted a new slogan to address to western world and it was “Your technology my culture”. This is precisely what Modi seems to be attempting in turning Brand India international. Japan is an example of how culture and tradition can be assimilated with modernity and science. That is why they have Zen, Ikebana, Tea ceremony, Geishas and Haiku while using world’s best technology and innovation in their country. Friedman in his book World is Flat calls it glocalisation when local culture assimilates high technology of the global significance. In order to redeem our pride as a nation we should welcome this synthesis of culture and global operation as new package to be marketed in the world. We must build brand India and globally export it.

President Himachal Pradesh Congress

Dear Sukhvinder ji.

Thanks for your message about holding Intellectual department of Pradesh Congress meeting and your efforts to diagnose the massive and historical failure in Himachal to lose all seats in Parliamentary elections. We cannot take shelter behind the central leadership as all over the performance is bad but we had the government in power that won election a year back  and a high confidence that claimed from house top that we shall win all seats. How the leaders failed to notice Modi wave and failed to counter it with good governance rather than indulging in nepotism and favoritism leading to public discontent especially with the hope of good governance by Modi sarkar.

Vichar Vibhag first time started a Website that was opened by you. We had ten meeting in Dharmshala,Mandi, Joginder Nagar.Nahan , Solan and Shimla. We constituted the organization in all districts as none was in existence earlier. We planned to hold seminars on Roads , Health and education and also started a survey of blocks and working of grass root organization as was known to you. This was to counter the good governess blitzkrieg from Modi that had to be met with equal good governance in which we failed, even to hand down some work done  and as no one took interest and we had to go dormant.

 I regret to say that the Government and its head our Chief Minister never cared to consult us or even to acknowledge that there is any such wing of the party. He never met us when he had meetings with all other departments and organizations. In fact the indifference to intellectual input or wide consultation within party, the government displayed high arrogance and know all style. Even the leaders became in accessable after election and their cell phones are found by the workers only switched off. All tickets in the constituency were allotted to favorites or relations with clear policy of creating a party within party. Government ruled with arrogance and nepotism.

My personal loyalty to almost dozen of former Central Ministers and respect for Gandhi Nehru tradition only kept a weak link as there was totalitarian one man rule in Himachal.

I had personal experience in central government at top during the Prime Ministership of Rajiv Gandhi  and with UN as expert,and was available to the state to render badly needed help for aviation and airport development but no one bothered except Madam Vidya Stokes who once asked me to help the state but later could not proceed further. Vichar Vibhag time and again tried to stress that grass root is not functioning and we need to pay all out attention to it that needed complete cooperation of Government with the party as inter group problems were too many and CM never bothered to resolve them except to enhance his own tribe’s interests. It functioned as personal party of CM and not Congress party. Our Survey reveals that 50-60% opinion leaders believe that block and booth is getting day by day weakened and groupism is gaining ground.

Considering this we remained silent spectators although a lot of help and support could be garnered but no word of encouragement or advice was available nor there was any interactive and free discussion. The prevailing impression was that one man can do magic but ground situation was completely different that was not known to higher up in absence of free and frank talk and mutual help.

Now since you have reminded we will hold the meeting soon in Shimla. I will again plead that party must bring radical changes in Government and local units of party to regain the strength as we have still time to recover.

With best wishes and regards

Prof N.K.Singh

Former Chairman International Airports Authority and ExUN Adviser

Chairman Pradesh Vichar Vibhag

Pradesh Congress committee

Rajiv Bhavan Shimla

6/6/2014

Copy for information and action to –Smt Sonia Gandhi

Three Culprits of Kashmir Imbroglio

Omar Abdulla, The Chief Minister of Jammu Kashmir has recently announced that if the Union Government tinkers with the article 370 without consent of State Government, Kashmir will not be part of India. He said ‘Either J&K wil not be part of India or article 370 will exist’.It was a shocking statement in response of Minister of State In PM office Dr Jatender Rana making a suggestion that the process of discussion about this article need to be started. Earlier Narender Modi had also said it and there was sharp reaction from Kashmir leaders. Why India has fallen in this mess and who is responsible for it?

Article 371 was inserted in Indian Constitution at the instance of Shiekh Abdullah and Jawahar LaL Nehru the then Prime Minister of India.Historical Background of the article related to relative local freedom granted by the British to Indian states who were paying yearly fee  in return for British patronage and defense. British interfered in the states whenever they liked but left most of the local matters to the ruler. The original folly was committed by Mahraja Hari Singh who wanted to delay the accession of Kashmir and remain a King of the autonomous state. He dreamt of Kashmir being Switzerland without realization the geopolitics. In the instrument of accession it  was mentioned as was being done earlier with British that except defence foreign affairs and communication etc all matters will require the concurrence of the state government for making laws applicable to them. This instrument was the basis  of the section 370 of Indian Constitution.

While three culprits Hari Singh, Jawahar lal Nehru and Shiekh Abdulla are responsible to perpetuate this anomaly on India when out of 465 states of erstwhile Rajas were merged except one i.e. Kashmir. Junagarh had declared allegiance to Pakistan but when the state faced virtual embargo from neighboring territory the ruler ran away to Pakistan. Similarly Hyderbad and Goa had been brought into integration by using show of force. A great job was accomplished by Sardar Patel. When bringing this special provision made Sardar Patel and Dr. B.R.Ambedkar dissatisfied with the provision Nehru had removed the Kashmir Port folio from Patel and brought in Gopalaswamy Aiyyangar, an Indian administrative  officer who worked with Maharaja of Kahmir as his Prime Minister, to draft this and execute the section. Patel offered to resign but as usual Gandhi ji was brought in who prevailed on him to put up with it. The dissent of Dr Ambedkar was very forceful in what he told Shiekh Abdulla “ Mr. Abdullah you want that India should defend you, India should develop Kashmir and Kashmiris have equal rights as Indian Citizen of India but you don’t want Indian citizen to have any rights in Kashmir, I am law Minister of India and I cannot betray the interest of my country”. Such bold and honest Politicians also existed in those days.

Step by step the interest of the country was sacrificed and the main culprits were Shiekh Abdulla and Jawarlal Nehru. Every other state merged with India and Kashmir had a suspended relationship and was also allowed to have its own flag in 1952 by Nehru.The orginal flag showed three triangles depicting Jammu,Ladakh and Kashmir which have been changed. Nehru assured that this is a temporary arrangement and will wither away . But after more than five decades about 135 laws including RTI Act, Human Rights Commission,  Welfare legislation, Indian Penal Code , Prevention of corruption are not applicable in the state and there is  rampant corruption in the state. Even the provision of Permanent Resident rules of the state are subject of great debate .Neither outsiders can buy property nor they can settle there. But more than this if the daughter of state subject marries to Indian citizen she cannot inherit property from her parents. While high court annulled this,  a  state legislation was brought to fortify it. That too not succeeding, the government is using its discretition to grant PR status to a person or not. My wife who was born in Jammu laments that she  has no right on her state.This is perpetual injustice to citizens.

If Modi government back tracks from its resolve it would be great set back to the process of integration of the state. In fact it is leading to terrorism and encouragement to all anti national elements in Kashmir. No one gains from this except those who want status quo for retaining their hold on the land.

It is high time that Modi Government sets the ball rolling to clearly enunciate the pros and cons and educate Kashmiris on  how much they are losing. Time has come process of change to begin with debate and education.