Standing ovation for a mere temple?

Pankaj Sharma
24 August 2015

Acquiring land for a Hindu Temple in the UAE is all well and good. The Indian government, however, must pay greater attention to migrant Indian labourers living under rough conditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked everyone present in the Dubai Cricket Stadium to give  Crown Prince of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Mohammed Bin Zayed AI Nahyan a standing ovation for allocating land to a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. This would be the first formal temple for Hindu devotees in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE. In July 2013, a Muslim businessman donated five acres of land adjoining a mosque to set up the Swaminarayan temple in Abu Dhabi. 

Abu Dhabi will have a Hindu temple in years to come. Although, the UAE already has two Hindu temples in Dubai, the ‘generosity’ shown by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed AI Nahyan to more than two and a half million Indians working in UAE, of which around one million are probably Hindus, requires a thanksgiving gesture from the Indian prime minister. Modi, however, chose to be overwhelmingly generous and offered a rare salute to UAE’s rulers. 

It was around 57 years ago when Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum gave his permission to build a Hindu temple on a first floor of a by-lane in Bur-Dubai. There exist two temples in Dubai. Located west of the Dubai Creek, the temple complex is used for performing marriages and celebrating Hindu festivals too. There used to be a Gurudwara also on the upper floor of Shiva temple, which has now been moved to its new premises near Jebel Ali.

UAE has the largest number of Hindus among West Asian countries. India’s cultural and trade ties with the UAE stretch back many years. The existence of Hindu temples in the Middle East is not a new phenomenon. The first Hindu temple in Yemen was built more than 150 years ago.  More than half a dozen temples were built in Aden in the 19th century. The Shree Trikamraiji-Haveli Temple was built in 1862, followed by Hanumanji Temple, Shriram Temple, Hingraj Mataji Mandir and Shankar Hanuman Temple. There is also a Jain temple and a Sikh Gurudwara in Aden. Indian merchants had built a Hindu temple in the port city of Iran--Bandar Abbas in 1890. A Gurudwara was built by Sikh traders in Zahedan town of Iran in 1927. Oman’s capital city Muscat has two Hindu temples. Oman also has a Krishna temple in Darsait and a Shiva temple in Muttrah. The Shiva temple is believed to be over a hundred years old. Bahrain’s capital city Manama has two temples--an ISKCON temple on Kuwait Avenue and a Guruvayurappan temple in Adliya. All these temples draw large crowds of devotees every day.

Apart from acquiring land for constructing a Hindu temple, we have several more important reasons to express our respect to the UAE leadership. In recent decades, UAE’s economic progress has been one of the global success stories, transforming the nation into a regional leader and a thriving international centre that attracts people and business from across the world. The dynamism of the two countries have translated into a rapidly expanding economic partnership, making India UAE’s second largest trading partner; and UAE not only India’s third largest trading partner, but also India’s gateway to the region and beyond. Today, as India accelerates economic reforms and improves its investment and business environment, the potential to build a transformative economic partnership with the UAE stands on the horizon. It can help realise the vision of an Asian Century.

India and UAE have agreed to coordinate efforts to counter radicalization and misuse of religion by groups and countries that incite hatred, perpetrate and justify terrorism or pursue dangerous political aims. Both nations have also vouched to denounce and oppose terrorism in all forms and manifestations, calling on all states to reject and abandon its use against other countries, besides dismantling terror infrastructures where they exist, and bring the perpetrators to justice. We have also agreed to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing and capacity building and to work together for the adoption of India’s proposed Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism in the United Nations.

It is a good thing that there will be a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi too. However, UAE’s rulers do deserve a standing ovation for supporting India’s candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. UAE should also be thanked for its desire to take honest steps against the flow of illegal black money and for greater maritime cooperation in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean region. Such a maritime security apparatus is vital for the prosperity of both countries.

I’m not sure if Modi will get an opportunity in the future to give a standing ovation to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed AI Nahyan for solving some of the problems faced by most Indian workers in the UAE. Indian workers are pawns in the games recruiting agents play in Gulf countries. The average Indian worker is being forced to live in a poor barrack-like accommodation, work for very long hours, with his/her salary withheld. They have no real access to medical facilities and insurance. Moreover, their passports are either retained or confiscated by their employers.

I have no idea how many of them, who were present in Dubai Cricket Stadium for the ‘Mahraba Namo’ event, were drivers, doorkeepers, domestic helps, construction workers or people working in shipping industry or in different factories. I also don’t know if they obeyed Modi’s order to applaud the Crown Prince, hoping he would persuade the UAE to be more humane? India gains $13 billion annually only because 2.8 million Gulf Indians have nowhere else to send their money. Unlike Indians in Britain or the US, they cannot acquire permanent citizenship in the UAE. Therefore, as permanent Indian citizens, they are New Delhi’s permanent responsibility. Indian workers overseas contribute to our national economy as well as to various Gulf nations. Indians working in the UAE also deserve a standing ovation for their commitment and excellence by the Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Zayed and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a real tribute to them lies in improving their working conditions. 

Weakest of the last 68 speeches

Pankaj Sharma

17 August 2015, New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day address flatters to deceive.

From the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, Narendra Modi delivered, what was probably the weakest Independence Day speech by a sitting prime minister in the last 68 years. Being a visionary means seeing the big picture. When the prime minister of India stands on the ramparts of the Red Fort every year on August 15, the whole world keenly listens to his words. Through the speech, many governments around the world attempt to discern and understand the future course of action India will take. Over the years, our prime ministers have used this symbolic occasion to address the nation as well as the world, telling everyone with a sense of pride, the story of India’s progress and achievements.

Listening to Narendra Modi for a full 86 minutes this Independence Day, I was left really disappointed. On the same occasion last year, Modi spoke frankly about his ideas for the future. With 15 months under his belt, one would have assumed that he has understood things a lot better. In his speech on August 15 this year, however, he continued to talk about the ‘atmosphere of confidence’ his government has built in the last 15 months. Despite Modi’s exhortations, most of us are unable to feel that elusive ‘atmosphere of confidence’. 

Modi took an oath that he will take his fight against corruption to its logical end and India must be ready for “the side effects of the injection”, since there is no other remedy for this malaise. 

Therefore, even if some innocents are harassed at the hands of government officials, Modi is ready to ignore their indiscretions. Our prime minister has told the world that India is a nation, whose whole body is a home for termites and how he plans to eradicate every square meter of corruption, besides warning them about how influential groups with vested interests are trying to exert pressure on him to dilute the black money law. Modi declared that his government is corruption-free, conveniently forgetting that public sentiments have arisen against the deeds of a union minister and two chief ministers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled states. No business could be conducted in the previous monsoon session because of the government’s brazen attitude of not listening to the opposition’s demand for action against its errant ministers. 

Global leaders, who want to battle against the most corrupt methods of fulfilling the goals of a ‘Global Empire’, must learn from Modi the techniques used to fight against termites and use them effectively to kill the major ones—World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Corporatocracy and the Economic Hit Men—sitting on every square meter of Mother Earth. In a world where economic and military supper-bullies are playing their games under no rules whatsoever, I was impressed by Modi’s announcement that the outflow of black money from India to other countries have now stopped and Rs 6500 crores have come back to India from foreign banks. Nobody supports the generation of black money and we need to take every step against it. 

However, looking at the expansionist approach that countries such as China and America adopt, is it necessary to loudly beat the drums for steps taken to control the two extra tuitions given and hidden by some teachers? There are larger questions that must be dealt with in the area of corruption globally and just because a Bhasmasur is running fast after its creator, countries like ours should not fall into the trap of over indulgent self criticism. Those who themselves are sick certainly have no business giving health tips to others. 

During his speech, Modi kept silent on issues surrounding foreign relations. He should have given a report card of the progress made in core areas of national interests and how much support he is receiving from his ‘friend’ and US President Barack Obama. Modi should have also told the nation about how he feels about seeing Xi Jinping, with whom he shared the swing in Sabarmati, leaning heavily towards Pakistan. Our prime minister could have shed some positive light for resuming talks with Pakistan. The fight against poverty in SAARC has been Modi’s passion after assuming power. Why has it lost steam in such a short span of time? 

From farmers to the armed forces, Modi tried to touch upon every voter constituency. From giving priority to the progress of the Northeast to the implementation of social schemes for the poor, he tried to narrate everything. But Modi had nothing new to add to the glory of his government this time. He could only mention the figures of 17 crores new bank accounts, which are mostly lying idle with no transactions conducted, besides the surrendering of LPG subsidies by 20 lakh people. Modi told us that he will connect all 18,500 villages with electricity poles and wires, without mentioning how many of these villages are already connected to a source of electricity. He also told ex-servicemen that their demand for ‘one rank, one pension’ has been accepted in principle; carefully hiding the fact that this scheme was already approved by Congress-led UPA government on February 16, 2014 and made applicable with effect from April 1, 2014. The game of Hide and seek is one Modi knows better than anyone else.

Another half-cooked miracle

Pankaj Sharma

The details of the Naga accord must be made public for rigorous scrutiny.

In the afternoon of last Monday, August 3, media persons across the country received a message on their cell phones that prime minister Narendra Modi is going to make a very important announcement at 5.30 in the evening. There was a strong sense of pride pouring from the face of our prime minister while ‘saluting the Naga people for beginning a new glorious chapter’. On the occasion of signing the ‘Naga Accord’ at his residence Modi did not forget to tell the nation that how he has solved a six-decade-old problem, how after assuming office around a year back he asked his office to supervise the talks and how he personally kept in touch with the progress. Dressed with a colourful touch of Naga style our prime minister also reminded us that how the Naga problem has been one of the tragedies of Independent India, how we have lived with this legacy, how there were not many like Mahatma Gandhi who loved the Naga people and were sensitive to their sentiments and how peace, security and economic transformation of North East have been amongst his highest priorities in last one year.

I was thrillingly amused to watch Narendra Bhai achieving another ‘historical miracle’ within 14 months of grabbing over the prime ministership of our great nation. I was also admiring him for the blissful self-confidence he has that ignorance injects into a person. Modi is obsessed to make the nation believe again and again that whatever has been achieved by the country is the outcome of his tireless efforts and nothing was done before May 26, 2014, in independent India. 

The accord signed between the Government of India and the NSCN(I-M), a leading Naga group, is not the first one to end what is definitely the country’s first ethnic insurrection. Narendra Bhai conveniently forgot the fact that 40 years back, in 1975, an agreement with the Naga National Council was signed in Shillong when Indira Gandhi was prime minister. This pact was designed to pave the way for a final settlement of the Naga problem.

T Muivah and IC Swu had described the 1975 accord as a “sell out” and vowed to fight on. successive Congress governments kept on making peace efforts in Nagaland in other North-Eastern states with different armed groups. Interlocutors appointed by Congress governments for Naga talks played their remarkable roles. These talks went on for several years. The secret talks were held with Naga rebels at their hideouts in Nagaland, in neighbouring countries and places in European countries. Muivah and his lieutenants had several rounds of talks with officials during Congress-led UPA government between 2004 and 2014 at different safe houses of intelligence agencies in New Delhi as a result of that a Temporary Ceasefire Agreement was signed on July 31, 2007, between NSCN-IM and the then Congress Government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh. 

There were occasions during 2011-13 when Naga leaders wanted to go for an accord immediately and the then prime minister to make an announcement for the same from the rampant of the red fort on independence day. But, Congress was mature enough to not go in haste and take and give a serious thought to the opinions of the political leadership of other North-Eastern states, an exercise necessary in a democracy to take into confidence all the affected sections, which is deliberately ignored by Modi because he is in a hurry to take the sole credit of the ‘accord’ when he stands on the red fort this 15 August. A section of Naga leaders has thanked Modi for ‘understanding the Nagas’ and our always ready to pat his own back prime minister has claimed that accord is ‘historic’ but none of them has disclosed the details of the ‘accord’.

The provisions of all accords, such as the Assam Peace Accord on 25 August 1985 and then the Mizo Peace Accord on 25th June 1986 by late Shri Rajiv Gandhi had been made public. The lid on Monday’s accord has raised several questions about the possible provisions of the accord and about why it has not been made public. The accord comes within four months of the reneging of the ceasefire by the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K)—the one opposed to the Muivah-Isak faction. This faction is led by Burmese rebel Naga rebel leader S.S. Khaplang, who now has a fraternal alliance going with several other Northeast Indian rebel groups.

Since Khaplang broke away from the ceasefire, his fighters have been joined by United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) and some Meitei groups in attacking Indian troops. Thirty soldiers have died in these attacks—18 in one strike in Manipur in June. The NSCN (I-M) has been negotiating with the government since 1997. They had climbed down from the original Naga separatists’ demand for independence. But they are keen that their demand for a greater Naga state—the Nagalim—should be accepted. They want Nagalim to be formed by merging the Naga-dominant areas of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. How Modi would be able to go ahead in this direction when even Atal Behari Vajpayee had found it difficult in 2001? 

The Monday accord seems to have worked on providing the Nagas greater autonomy — both for the state of Nagaland and for the Nagas areas of the three neighbouring states of Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Alongside the autonomy provisions, the accord would provide some ways to link the Nagas of the neighbouring states with the state of Nagaland, at least culturally. The reason for not letting the details of the accord out is because the mode of implementing it is not yet finalised. A top lawyer who advised the NSCN (I-M) during the negotiations feels that real challenge begins now. 

Unlike in Mizoram, where Rajiv Gandhi signed the 1986 accord with the entire MNF leadership and that is why the accord seems to have delivered, Modi’s Naga accord may focus on delivering largely for the Indian Nagas. There is no way Modi can deal with Khaplang, who is a Burmese national. But if the breakaway factions of the Khaplang group had been involved in the settlement, it would have been easier to implement it in Nagaland. It was clear even from the official speech of Muivah that this is not the end when, after signing the accord he avoided facing the camera directly and repeated the very similar sentence that has been used since past several years that an honourable peaceful solution is yet to be worked out. But, Narendra Bhai was a man in a hurry. He wanted this feather in his cap before Independence Day. So, let the nation celebrate a half cooked accord.

The Author is Editor and CEO of News Views India.

Modi, Rahul and days ahead

 Pankaj Sharma
3 August 2015, New Delhi

The public is beginning to see through Prime Minister Modi’s facade.

Every single day, I meet people who have tremendous understanding and deep insight. They are everywhere around us. No matter how much they try to speak out and articulate their viewpoint, no one listens. And then I meet people holding high positions with tremendous voice but with no understanding for the issues at hand. Why does this happen? It happens because we do not respect knowledge. We respect position and power. And it does not matter how much wisdom you have, if you do not have a position, you mean nothing. This is the tragedy of India.”

“Congress party is world’s largest political organisation, but it is not governed by set rules. The party perhaps has no rule and regulations. We make new rules every two minutes and burry the older one. Here nobody perhaps knows which rules Congress party follows. It’s an interesting organisation. Sometimes I ask myself how does this party run? How does Congress win elections? How do we defeat other parties? I cannot understand all this.”

“I have learned a lot from senior leaders in last eight years. I will learn more and more by meeting them in future as they are the people who have vast experience. They carry the history of Congress party with them. They carry the philosophy of our party with them. For me, the Congress party is now my life. I will fight for this party and for people of India with everything I have. I invite all of you to stand up and take on this fight.”

I was one of those thousands who were listening to Rahul Gandhi. Sitting on the dais behind him in the last line I was literally filled with a sense of pride sensing a secure, strong and bright future under a young and dynamic leadership. The day was 20 January 2013 and Rahul had taken over as the Vice President of the party during the session of All India Congress Committee held at Jaipur.

Some within the Congress party and Bharatiya Janata Party have a democratic right to laugh at me for saying that it was only because of the strong-willed guidance of Sonia Gandhi’s that the Congress party could face the political hiccups of last 36 months and now playing such an effective role in parliamentary democracy.

 It is not easy for any political organisation to access capital to start business afresh after going through defeats after defeats in a short span of fewer than 1000 days. But Rahul could do it. Today, Congress is giving sleepless nights to BJP in the centre and in the states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. It is also not easy to keep otherwise warring factions within the organisation under check in an atmosphere of acute demoralisation after losing electoral battles one after another. But Rahul’s grip kept his party intact across the country.

On the contrary, the BJP,  is imploding from within. Even an unprecedented electoral victory with 282 seats and the process of regimentation with which BJP is passing through for last one year under prime minister Narendra Modi and his field marshal Amit Shah are failing in keeping the flocks together. Senior leaders in BJP are privately criticising Modi for his autocratic attitude, egoist manners and loose tongue. His recent comment on Nitish Kumar’s DNA has created strong ripples within Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) affiliates. 

Modi is now being openly criticised by important state leaders for his misguided political decisions such as projecting Kiran Bedi as chief minister in Delhi; appointment of ineffective chief ministers in Maharashtra and Haryana; creating a non-functioning NITI Ayog; unnecessarily putting institutions related to arts, culture and films in controversies and for a strong public perception on non-deliverance by his government on almost all fronts.

Here is a leader who could not sustain the hype he created for his party even for 282 days after people gave him 282 members in the Lok Sabha. And, here is another leader who is unfazed and going stronger every day even after his party faced the biggest electoral humiliation in its history. The sheen of false promises and huge propaganda to lure the electorate is fast losing its shine. Deceivers are never trusted twice. Narendra Modi and BJP, therefore, are bound to start the downward journey. The strong foundation of time-tested principles and policies can never be buried forever. 

Rahul Gandhi will, therefore, be able to revive his Congress very soon. He knows how to keep his words and I know that he can never forget what he said in Jaipur Congress session. When India will watch the final round of the match between Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi in the arena of political integrity, Rahul’s score will leave Modi far behind.