The countdown for the cricket world cup has started which is just three weeks away. After a cracker one-day series between India & South Africa, the tournament is been tipped to be a huge success. This world cup is important for various reasons.
It will decide the future of one-day cricket. This is the first major one-day tournament after the arrival of T20 cricket which has taken the cricket world by storm. So will the spectator turn out for the forty day tournament be as high as it used to be during the pre- T20 cricket time? Will the television viewership be as high as it used to be during the previous editions are some of the big questions. The ICC will go all out to make sure that the pitches for the event are batsmen friendly as that will make the matches high scoring.
Now what hasn’t changed is the buzz around who are the favourites to win this World Cup. Many Indian cricket experts, media houses & fans have already started believing that India is the strongest team to win this world cup. The reasons- that India has the best side, we are playing on our home ground etc. My take is that India is one of the favourites but definitely not the favourite to win this edition.
The reason is that though India has probably the best batting side but their bowling is a big concern. The two world cups in which India performed exceptionally well were 1983 & 2003. In both these edition one key reason for India’s superior performance was India’s bowling. In 1983 – Roger Binny and Madan Lal were the top two wicket takers of the tournament. Between the two they took 35 wickets in 8 matches. Kapil Dev & Mohinder Amarnath had an economy rate of less than 3 which made it difficult for the opposition to score runs. Kapil Dev also took 12 wickets in the tournament.
Similarly in the 2003 – Zaheer, Srinath & Nehra took 49 wickets together in 11 matches. Harbhajan’s economy rate was less than 4. Along with India’s batting the bowlers also played an equal important role. Now the argument could be that In India the conditions are different but even then any team would need atleast 3 bowlers who perform well. It is not necessarily to be the highest wicket takers but atleast bowl tight.
This time around India’s bowling is one of the weakest ever. Nehra is still to in to rhythm, harbhajan has been inconsistent. Praveen Kumar is struggling for fitness and even though Munaf bowled well in South Africa, in India he has never been very effective. Zaheer is the only reliable force. But given that India will play four bowlers in all matches atleast 3 will have to be in prime form. Luckily India’s part time bowlers- Yuvraj, Yousuf & raina have been bowling well. Sehwag & tendulkar are also very effective bowlers. So getting useful ten overs out of these three to four bowlers will not be a major concern.
No doubt that India has a very potent batting side with the top seven batsmen capable of winning the match for the team on any given day. But out of the seven batsmen atleast four will have to perform consistently & be in great form. Sehwag & Tendulkar will be a lethal opening combination. But Sehwag will play his natural game and like always his consistency will be the key. But his & Tendulkar’s form will be the most critical factor if India is to go through till the finals. In the middle order with Yuvraj & Dhoni struggling to for form, Gambhir & Kohli have a very pivotal role to play. Gambhir at number 3 and Kohli at number 4 will have to play the anchor sheet role. One of them will have to raise their hand in every match and stay at the crease till the end. Yuvraj has been out of form for a very long time but given his talent & calibre Dhoni has no choice but to back him. The day he finds his rhythm he can demolish the opposition. Dhoni like always will play according to the situation. His temperament is his key and will provide the reprieve to the batting.
But the ‘X factor will be Yousuf Pathan.I think it is imperative that Dhoni plays Yousuf Pathan in all the matches even if that means dropping Raina. Yousuf is a special player and he cannot be expected to play a miracle innings each & every time India is in trouble. He may click say 3 times out 10 matches. But the day he gets going he can win India the match single handedly. Sehwag & Yousuf are two batsmen who can alter the course of a match in a matter of few overs. They have to be backed no matter how inconsistent they are. If India has to win this world cup both of them will have to produce special innings in some crucial matches.
Lastly, since the 2002 Natwest trophy in England, India has not won a single major one day tournament. They have always cracked under pressure in major tournaments. So the temperament will be another key factor.
As if now without naming any favourites the four teams that should make it to semis are – India, South Africa, England & Sri Lanka. Anyone of them can win this world cup. But the surprise package of the world cup could be Pakistan. They have it in them to surprise everyone.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
CONGRESS’S BIGGEST WORRY: THE COMMON MAN
During the general election of 2009 the Congress manifesto’s cover page had two opening lines that encapsulated the campaign theme for the party. The lines were –
Aam Aadmi kay badhtey kadam
Har Kadam Par Bharat Buland
This essentially means ‘As the common man moves forward, India gets stronger with every step’. And fortunately for the Congress this theme did find resonance amongst the masses which voted for them in huge numbers. But today barely eighteen months after the elections, the above message has changed to- ‘The more the common man tries to move forward, the more he will get punished’.
The events that have unfolded in the last six months have left the common man completely disillusioned. The series of scams that have unearthed, the price rise of essential food items, the growing inflation and now the second price increase of crude oil in a month has left the common man battered. The various scams that have been erupting from time to time have been disturbing, because of which the common man is saying, that first of all the hard earned tax payers money has been gobbeled by corrupt ministers and if that was not enough the price rise has become a constant phenomenon. But the bigger worry is the government’s inability to control price rise. All these events are compelling the common man to question himself –whether it was a mistake to vote for the Congress & allies for the second time?
The emergency cabinet meeting which took place for over two days and ended without any guarantee from the governement to contain the price rise has left everyone even more bemused. The government message that it can do little to bring down the prices in the immediate future but can work towards a more secure future has suddenly shaken the confidence of the common man.
There are two stark messages that the government has send out in the last six months.Firstly that ministers and bureaucrats who are involved in corruption will be brought to book only when they are proven guilty. It is easier for us to take action against our own ministers (e.g.- Tharoor, Chavan, Kalmadi etc) but difficult to take action against ministers from other parties who are our coalition partners. But how much time will it take to finish these investigations is still not known. Second, that our intention is to control price rise but there is very little we can do as most of the stock is with private players. Suddenly the common man’s confidence and faith in the Indian growth story has shaken. Now the questions is that – what is the use of this 9% growth if the we have to suffer due to due price rise and the extra wealth that is created by the government is eaten up corrupt politicians and ministers.
This sudden change in the national environment is really disturbing. The last time the country went through this phase was way back in the 90’s. But suddenly after the Kargil war the nation found renewed confidence and after that the rise in the economic growth completely changed the mood of the nation. But when ordinary citizens start questioning the growth and prosperity of the nation then it means that the government is in serious trouble.
Analysts’ believe that if elections were to be held today then the UPA will suffer a huge defeat. And for the Congress the timing could not have been worse as it is losing political ground in one of its key states - Andhra Pradesh.
The unfortunate part is that this govenrment has some very reputed ministers who have a great image and are genuinely good administrators. But the overall performance of this government is in question. The Congress cannot blame its allies because evntually it is the big brother of this coalition.Manmohan Singh is still considered an honest man and his integrity is still intact but now people want him to take some tough steps to change this mood.
If the governmet fails to act quickly, it may find it difficult to last for a full five year term. And all the ground that the Congress had recovered in the six years it may just get undone in a matter of few months. It’s time that the Congress fulfills its campaign theme on the back of which it came to power otherwise those very lines which it used as its campaign theme will become its nightmare in the next election.
Aam Aadmi kay badhtey kadam
Har Kadam Par Bharat Buland
This essentially means ‘As the common man moves forward, India gets stronger with every step’. And fortunately for the Congress this theme did find resonance amongst the masses which voted for them in huge numbers. But today barely eighteen months after the elections, the above message has changed to- ‘The more the common man tries to move forward, the more he will get punished’.
The events that have unfolded in the last six months have left the common man completely disillusioned. The series of scams that have unearthed, the price rise of essential food items, the growing inflation and now the second price increase of crude oil in a month has left the common man battered. The various scams that have been erupting from time to time have been disturbing, because of which the common man is saying, that first of all the hard earned tax payers money has been gobbeled by corrupt ministers and if that was not enough the price rise has become a constant phenomenon. But the bigger worry is the government’s inability to control price rise. All these events are compelling the common man to question himself –whether it was a mistake to vote for the Congress & allies for the second time?
The emergency cabinet meeting which took place for over two days and ended without any guarantee from the governement to contain the price rise has left everyone even more bemused. The government message that it can do little to bring down the prices in the immediate future but can work towards a more secure future has suddenly shaken the confidence of the common man.
There are two stark messages that the government has send out in the last six months.Firstly that ministers and bureaucrats who are involved in corruption will be brought to book only when they are proven guilty. It is easier for us to take action against our own ministers (e.g.- Tharoor, Chavan, Kalmadi etc) but difficult to take action against ministers from other parties who are our coalition partners. But how much time will it take to finish these investigations is still not known. Second, that our intention is to control price rise but there is very little we can do as most of the stock is with private players. Suddenly the common man’s confidence and faith in the Indian growth story has shaken. Now the questions is that – what is the use of this 9% growth if the we have to suffer due to due price rise and the extra wealth that is created by the government is eaten up corrupt politicians and ministers.
This sudden change in the national environment is really disturbing. The last time the country went through this phase was way back in the 90’s. But suddenly after the Kargil war the nation found renewed confidence and after that the rise in the economic growth completely changed the mood of the nation. But when ordinary citizens start questioning the growth and prosperity of the nation then it means that the government is in serious trouble.
Analysts’ believe that if elections were to be held today then the UPA will suffer a huge defeat. And for the Congress the timing could not have been worse as it is losing political ground in one of its key states - Andhra Pradesh.
The unfortunate part is that this govenrment has some very reputed ministers who have a great image and are genuinely good administrators. But the overall performance of this government is in question. The Congress cannot blame its allies because evntually it is the big brother of this coalition.Manmohan Singh is still considered an honest man and his integrity is still intact but now people want him to take some tough steps to change this mood.
If the governmet fails to act quickly, it may find it difficult to last for a full five year term. And all the ground that the Congress had recovered in the six years it may just get undone in a matter of few months. It’s time that the Congress fulfills its campaign theme on the back of which it came to power otherwise those very lines which it used as its campaign theme will become its nightmare in the next election.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
TIME TO FIX THE FIXERS
The Radia tapes revelation which is now famously been referred as the ‘Radigate’has become the biggest talking point in New Delhi. Never before has the deep nexus between the corporates, politicians and a section of the media been exposed to this degree that has left everyone stunned.
Niira Radia who was famous in the political & corporate circle has now become an instant star. She has become the symbol of a power lobbying or should we say power broker. Everyone wants to know and hear more abour Radia and her conversations with people cutting across political and business circles.The proximity between politicians & businessmen was never a secret. For decades business houses and tycoons have been funding political parties and in return politicians have helped them in growing their businesses. Many businessmen have a politician’s money invested in their companies and are business partners with them. The relationship has always been of scratching each others back and safe guarding each others interest. So why is everyone shocked to discover this nexus now?
Niira Radia who in many ways has emerged as the face of this nexus is not an exception nor does she represent a new breed which has recently taken birth. Brokers or deal fixers or dalals or let me use a dignified term - lobbyists as they are called have always existed in the system. The job of a lobbyist has always been of bridging the gap between politicians & businessmen. They are faceless but wield more power than the many potent faces in power. If the Indian system is considered corrupt then one major reason for that without a doubt are lobbyists. Whenever the businessman faces an obstacle in his business it has always been these lobbyists that solved their problem through these politicians & ministers.
There is a sense of disappointment within corporate India that these scams may shake their morale which may in turn effect the stupendous economic growth India has been riding on. Many have even send a message to the prime minister and finance minister that this crusade needs to stop otherwise it will impact the markets which in turn will impact the governments plan to raise money through capital market for expenditure. This may be a subtle blackmail or maybe even a warning.
But many belief that this whole 2G scam and the Radigate has really upset the prime minister and the Congress high command. And if the prime minister as it suggests at the moment decides to go to the bottom of this issue even at the cost of political vulnerability then it will surely send the right message to the angry public.
This is a golden opportunity for prime minister to crack down on this unholy nexus between the politicians and businessmen. By nailing down the culprits the government can actually intimidate this convenient working model shared between politicians and businessmen. And if Raja & Radia are found guilty then the government should surely punish them in the most severe fashion. The crackdown should be so severe that it sends down a shiver among politicians, businessmen & lobbyists (fixers). These fixers are the genesis of corruption as it has been proved through the Radia tapes. If the government can intimidates them it will surely have an impact on the politician-businessman nexus. This step could go a really long way in at least subsiding corruption on that level even if not completely but to a great extent. Given Manmohan Singh’s track record of being the most honest prime minister, he surely would not want to go down in history as the ‘most honest prime minister of the most corrupt government ever’.It’s time to fix the ‘fixers’ that can pave the way for India’s inclusive growth The onus is on the prime minister and his government.
Niira Radia who was famous in the political & corporate circle has now become an instant star. She has become the symbol of a power lobbying or should we say power broker. Everyone wants to know and hear more abour Radia and her conversations with people cutting across political and business circles.The proximity between politicians & businessmen was never a secret. For decades business houses and tycoons have been funding political parties and in return politicians have helped them in growing their businesses. Many businessmen have a politician’s money invested in their companies and are business partners with them. The relationship has always been of scratching each others back and safe guarding each others interest. So why is everyone shocked to discover this nexus now?
Niira Radia who in many ways has emerged as the face of this nexus is not an exception nor does she represent a new breed which has recently taken birth. Brokers or deal fixers or dalals or let me use a dignified term - lobbyists as they are called have always existed in the system. The job of a lobbyist has always been of bridging the gap between politicians & businessmen. They are faceless but wield more power than the many potent faces in power. If the Indian system is considered corrupt then one major reason for that without a doubt are lobbyists. Whenever the businessman faces an obstacle in his business it has always been these lobbyists that solved their problem through these politicians & ministers.
There is a sense of disappointment within corporate India that these scams may shake their morale which may in turn effect the stupendous economic growth India has been riding on. Many have even send a message to the prime minister and finance minister that this crusade needs to stop otherwise it will impact the markets which in turn will impact the governments plan to raise money through capital market for expenditure. This may be a subtle blackmail or maybe even a warning.
But many belief that this whole 2G scam and the Radigate has really upset the prime minister and the Congress high command. And if the prime minister as it suggests at the moment decides to go to the bottom of this issue even at the cost of political vulnerability then it will surely send the right message to the angry public.
This is a golden opportunity for prime minister to crack down on this unholy nexus between the politicians and businessmen. By nailing down the culprits the government can actually intimidate this convenient working model shared between politicians and businessmen. And if Raja & Radia are found guilty then the government should surely punish them in the most severe fashion. The crackdown should be so severe that it sends down a shiver among politicians, businessmen & lobbyists (fixers). These fixers are the genesis of corruption as it has been proved through the Radia tapes. If the government can intimidates them it will surely have an impact on the politician-businessman nexus. This step could go a really long way in at least subsiding corruption on that level even if not completely but to a great extent. Given Manmohan Singh’s track record of being the most honest prime minister, he surely would not want to go down in history as the ‘most honest prime minister of the most corrupt government ever’.It’s time to fix the ‘fixers’ that can pave the way for India’s inclusive growth The onus is on the prime minister and his government.
RADIA TAPES- IS THE MEDIA GUILTY?
‘When the Hunter got hunted’
This was the status message of one of my friend’s on his facebook account after the Radia tapes were leaked. Much has been spoken about the 2G scam but it’s a very interesting case to actually discuss media ethics.
Media which is often referred as the fourth estate has become an integral part of Indian democracy. The print media was always vigil for the past six decades but the real turning point came when the electronic media (TV) made an entry. The whole coverage & news reporting approach has taken a three sixty degree turn in the last one decade or so. Expose, sting operations, sound bytes, powerful visuals have all changed the dynamics of the way media functions. Till one & half decade back the only piece of television news one saw was on state run Doordarshan which at best can be described as the mouth piece of the government. The entry of private media players marked the real change in news reporting.
But unlike other institutions media is primarily a private driven enterprise and therefore is not under pressure from the government. The involvement of two celebrated journalists- Barkha Dutt (Group Editor of NDTV English) & Vir Sangvi (Consulting Editor of Hindustan times) in breaking the deadlock between Congress-DMK at the time of government formation in 2009 has come as a real shocker.
Just to give a clear context the tapes also contains conversations of Radia with Barkha Dutt & Vir Sanghvi at the time of government formation in 2009. Radia is heard lobbying for the DMK, while both Dutt & Sanghvi are seen to be presenting views of the Congress. The conversations indicate that Radia asked Dutt & Sanghvi to use their access to the Congress to pass on messages from the DMK.
Most people are shocked to see that two stalwarts of Indian journalism were involved in the lobbying process which has to a great extent tarnished their image. Journalists are not expected to be involved in any sort of deal which may not be monetary in nature but may lead to one party benefiting.
Dutt & Sanghvi are not corrupt but the fact that they were part of the lobbying process is a shameful act. On their part both have denied to have passed on those messages to the Congress leaders. They both claim that they were playing along to extract information and did not pass on those messages.
So what are the charges against these two journalists? No one is alleging corruption charges against them this act is a clear breach of media ethics. Journalism is all about of credibility and if that takes a beating then the journalist’s past track record & image does gets tarnished. Both have accepted that they should have handled Niira in a proper manner.
Journalist as a part of their job to extract information talk to all sorts of people from all walks of life. But there is a thin line between extracting information and divulging details that can benefit the source. Both Dutt & Sanghvi have crossed that line or at least seemed to have crossed that line. Both have done a mistake and should apologize to for that
But this brings me to a bigger question- Can the whole institution (Media) be painted with same brush. Now that is a very narrow & prejudice way at the looking at it. Yes, this incident has raised questions on the ethics followed by journalists but the medium is still fair & honest in its approach. The biggest testimony of that it is that the very same media that has actually made these tapes public without any fear of the whole institution’s image take a beating.
Like any other institution media also has grey areas and these tapes are example of that. So if there is a certain section (which is a small section) that believes that media in general is like that then by that principle – the army will have to also called corrupt because some its top officials were involved in Adarsh scam and the Tehelka scam which broke a few years back. They will also have to call the whole judiciary corrupt because of judges like Justice Dinakaran. Outlook magazine have made 141 tapes public, out which Radia has spoken to over thirty journalists. But the ones who have been found guilty on account of breach of ethics are hardly six to seven. The remaining twenty five odd have come out clean. This clearly shows that it’s not the whole institution that practices poor journalism. There are always a few rotten apples in the basket and it’s important to throw them out before they spoil the basket. And that is what is needed.
The same friend who I mentioned at the beginning of this piece also put a this status message
‘Radia deserves the Padma Bhushan for this expose’
For those people – had it been not this media then the multi crore scams like – CWG games, IPL, Adarsh society & now 2G scam which saw the exit of two cabinet minister, one chief minister & one sports administrator would have never happened. That is the impact of a genuine & vibrant media. Instead of asking for severe punishment for corporate lobbyists who work only & only for the benefit of corporates & politicians this friend of mine is much happier to see media found guilty for once forgetting all the work media has done for so many decades. Well, despite a section of cynic Indians the nation has overcome obstacles and shall continue to in the future as well. As for the media and journalists- this is a big lesson to look within and take corrective measures to ensure that the over all credibility remains intact.
This was the status message of one of my friend’s on his facebook account after the Radia tapes were leaked. Much has been spoken about the 2G scam but it’s a very interesting case to actually discuss media ethics.
Media which is often referred as the fourth estate has become an integral part of Indian democracy. The print media was always vigil for the past six decades but the real turning point came when the electronic media (TV) made an entry. The whole coverage & news reporting approach has taken a three sixty degree turn in the last one decade or so. Expose, sting operations, sound bytes, powerful visuals have all changed the dynamics of the way media functions. Till one & half decade back the only piece of television news one saw was on state run Doordarshan which at best can be described as the mouth piece of the government. The entry of private media players marked the real change in news reporting.
But unlike other institutions media is primarily a private driven enterprise and therefore is not under pressure from the government. The involvement of two celebrated journalists- Barkha Dutt (Group Editor of NDTV English) & Vir Sangvi (Consulting Editor of Hindustan times) in breaking the deadlock between Congress-DMK at the time of government formation in 2009 has come as a real shocker.
Just to give a clear context the tapes also contains conversations of Radia with Barkha Dutt & Vir Sanghvi at the time of government formation in 2009. Radia is heard lobbying for the DMK, while both Dutt & Sanghvi are seen to be presenting views of the Congress. The conversations indicate that Radia asked Dutt & Sanghvi to use their access to the Congress to pass on messages from the DMK.
Most people are shocked to see that two stalwarts of Indian journalism were involved in the lobbying process which has to a great extent tarnished their image. Journalists are not expected to be involved in any sort of deal which may not be monetary in nature but may lead to one party benefiting.
Dutt & Sanghvi are not corrupt but the fact that they were part of the lobbying process is a shameful act. On their part both have denied to have passed on those messages to the Congress leaders. They both claim that they were playing along to extract information and did not pass on those messages.
So what are the charges against these two journalists? No one is alleging corruption charges against them this act is a clear breach of media ethics. Journalism is all about of credibility and if that takes a beating then the journalist’s past track record & image does gets tarnished. Both have accepted that they should have handled Niira in a proper manner.
Journalist as a part of their job to extract information talk to all sorts of people from all walks of life. But there is a thin line between extracting information and divulging details that can benefit the source. Both Dutt & Sanghvi have crossed that line or at least seemed to have crossed that line. Both have done a mistake and should apologize to for that
But this brings me to a bigger question- Can the whole institution (Media) be painted with same brush. Now that is a very narrow & prejudice way at the looking at it. Yes, this incident has raised questions on the ethics followed by journalists but the medium is still fair & honest in its approach. The biggest testimony of that it is that the very same media that has actually made these tapes public without any fear of the whole institution’s image take a beating.
Like any other institution media also has grey areas and these tapes are example of that. So if there is a certain section (which is a small section) that believes that media in general is like that then by that principle – the army will have to also called corrupt because some its top officials were involved in Adarsh scam and the Tehelka scam which broke a few years back. They will also have to call the whole judiciary corrupt because of judges like Justice Dinakaran. Outlook magazine have made 141 tapes public, out which Radia has spoken to over thirty journalists. But the ones who have been found guilty on account of breach of ethics are hardly six to seven. The remaining twenty five odd have come out clean. This clearly shows that it’s not the whole institution that practices poor journalism. There are always a few rotten apples in the basket and it’s important to throw them out before they spoil the basket. And that is what is needed.
The same friend who I mentioned at the beginning of this piece also put a this status message
‘Radia deserves the Padma Bhushan for this expose’
For those people – had it been not this media then the multi crore scams like – CWG games, IPL, Adarsh society & now 2G scam which saw the exit of two cabinet minister, one chief minister & one sports administrator would have never happened. That is the impact of a genuine & vibrant media. Instead of asking for severe punishment for corporate lobbyists who work only & only for the benefit of corporates & politicians this friend of mine is much happier to see media found guilty for once forgetting all the work media has done for so many decades. Well, despite a section of cynic Indians the nation has overcome obstacles and shall continue to in the future as well. As for the media and journalists- this is a big lesson to look within and take corrective measures to ensure that the over all credibility remains intact.
OBAMA’S VISIT: WHAT THIS MEANS FOR INDIA
The Obamas have danced their way in to the hearts of normal, average, middle class Indians. Their grace, humility & affection seemed genuine and all these traits are weakness of an average India. Obama’s speech to the parliament will without an element of doubt go down as one of the most historic speeches ever and this trip may well redefine the US-India relationship.
But many skeptics still believe that United States has gained more from this trip and India has got carried away BY Obama’s kind words. Some cynics feel that the United States showed the UNSC carrot and India gave in. So has India really got carried away? The answer is simply ‘no’.
The trip has three broad features which I shall discuss one by one.
Economic & trade partnership- Skeptics believe that this trip was largely about businesses deals which will benefit United States and India has nothing to gain. Now looking at job creations in the United States through the $10 billion business deals is just one side of the story. Primarily India is paying to get access to technology in multiple sectors which so essential to keep the brisk growth rate of India’s economy on track. United States has an edge when it comes to technology and India is simply going to benefit by getting access to it. Partnership in areas like energy, defence, space, agriculture & manufacturing will bolster the capability & capacity of Indian companies which in turn will also create more employment in India & enhance our GDP growth. And if these partnership are utilized to its fullest potential than India can also touch 10% GDP growth from the current 8% growth. India needs the expertise in areas like agriculture which employs more than half the population and could also help in creating another green revolution which could do wonders for our agriculture sector.
Till now the US had restricted technology transfer to India but with post this trip US will lift those restrictions. With India getting access to technology especially in areas like agriculture, space, defence & infrastructure will only enhance our growth rate as mentioned earlier.
Now many critics say that there was no need to buy defense equipments from the United States given that we can get better deals from Russia & France. India’s increased defense purchase from United States doesn’t mean that it will stop buying from other countries. Russia is still India biggest defense supplier followed by Israel. United States traditionally had a very small pie in the Indian defense segment. And there should not be any fear of not getting access to the defense technology in the future because that will hurt US companies much more. This is something which the United States realized during the recession.
The Pakistan issue- To expect United States to impose sanctions or take some ultra tough measures against Pakistan for not acting against the perpetrators of 26/11 is not going happen. For United States priority is Afghanistan and for that it needs the support of Pakistan. And any direct involvement of the US in eliminating terror groups in Pakistan may also lead to a back lash and jeopardise US’s Afghan-Pak strategy. But on the first two days of the trip Obama did not mince any words against Pakistan for the 26/11 which also drew huge criticism.But it was on the last day that Obama said it a loud in the parliament speech that Pakistan will have to bring the culprits of 26/11 to book. As Swaminathan Aiyer put is across- US’s strategy is very clear. For the short term its Pakistan and in the long term it’s India. Obama also made it clear that it will not interfere in the Kashmir dispute and will leave it to India & Pakistan to sort out the issue something which India has been saying all this while.
Support for UNSC seat- Well, this was in the offing for a long time. Even the permanent members on the UNSC realize that there is a need to reform the United Nation’s Security Council based on today’s world order. India’s economic clout, growing influence on global issues, strong democratic track record & contribution to peace keeping efforts makes it’s a strong & deserving candidate to claim a permanent seat on the security council. China’s growing influence & uncertain behaviour is a cause of concern for the United States & Europe. In order to keep a balance India’s elevation is imperative to keep this region stable. With four out five permanent members already supporting India’s candidature including the United States, India chances look bright. Though China will try to create obstacles but that would be a real test of India’s diplomatic mettle. And the reform of the UNSC itself might take a few more years.
Many people also skeptical that India’s growing closeness to United States will drift it away from its old friend –Russia. This is not true. The cold war era is completely over and the fall of the Soviet Union also dismantled the bipolar world order. India’s relationship with Russia will & should continue to remain strong. India would need the support of both these nations to realize its true potential which is essential for this region. Obama’s endorsement should not be seen just lip service but an articulation of India true position in this century. As Obama put it- that India is not emerging, it has emerged.
But many skeptics still believe that United States has gained more from this trip and India has got carried away BY Obama’s kind words. Some cynics feel that the United States showed the UNSC carrot and India gave in. So has India really got carried away? The answer is simply ‘no’.
The trip has three broad features which I shall discuss one by one.
Economic & trade partnership- Skeptics believe that this trip was largely about businesses deals which will benefit United States and India has nothing to gain. Now looking at job creations in the United States through the $10 billion business deals is just one side of the story. Primarily India is paying to get access to technology in multiple sectors which so essential to keep the brisk growth rate of India’s economy on track. United States has an edge when it comes to technology and India is simply going to benefit by getting access to it. Partnership in areas like energy, defence, space, agriculture & manufacturing will bolster the capability & capacity of Indian companies which in turn will also create more employment in India & enhance our GDP growth. And if these partnership are utilized to its fullest potential than India can also touch 10% GDP growth from the current 8% growth. India needs the expertise in areas like agriculture which employs more than half the population and could also help in creating another green revolution which could do wonders for our agriculture sector.
Till now the US had restricted technology transfer to India but with post this trip US will lift those restrictions. With India getting access to technology especially in areas like agriculture, space, defence & infrastructure will only enhance our growth rate as mentioned earlier.
Now many critics say that there was no need to buy defense equipments from the United States given that we can get better deals from Russia & France. India’s increased defense purchase from United States doesn’t mean that it will stop buying from other countries. Russia is still India biggest defense supplier followed by Israel. United States traditionally had a very small pie in the Indian defense segment. And there should not be any fear of not getting access to the defense technology in the future because that will hurt US companies much more. This is something which the United States realized during the recession.
The Pakistan issue- To expect United States to impose sanctions or take some ultra tough measures against Pakistan for not acting against the perpetrators of 26/11 is not going happen. For United States priority is Afghanistan and for that it needs the support of Pakistan. And any direct involvement of the US in eliminating terror groups in Pakistan may also lead to a back lash and jeopardise US’s Afghan-Pak strategy. But on the first two days of the trip Obama did not mince any words against Pakistan for the 26/11 which also drew huge criticism.But it was on the last day that Obama said it a loud in the parliament speech that Pakistan will have to bring the culprits of 26/11 to book. As Swaminathan Aiyer put is across- US’s strategy is very clear. For the short term its Pakistan and in the long term it’s India. Obama also made it clear that it will not interfere in the Kashmir dispute and will leave it to India & Pakistan to sort out the issue something which India has been saying all this while.
Support for UNSC seat- Well, this was in the offing for a long time. Even the permanent members on the UNSC realize that there is a need to reform the United Nation’s Security Council based on today’s world order. India’s economic clout, growing influence on global issues, strong democratic track record & contribution to peace keeping efforts makes it’s a strong & deserving candidate to claim a permanent seat on the security council. China’s growing influence & uncertain behaviour is a cause of concern for the United States & Europe. In order to keep a balance India’s elevation is imperative to keep this region stable. With four out five permanent members already supporting India’s candidature including the United States, India chances look bright. Though China will try to create obstacles but that would be a real test of India’s diplomatic mettle. And the reform of the UNSC itself might take a few more years.
Many people also skeptical that India’s growing closeness to United States will drift it away from its old friend –Russia. This is not true. The cold war era is completely over and the fall of the Soviet Union also dismantled the bipolar world order. India’s relationship with Russia will & should continue to remain strong. India would need the support of both these nations to realize its true potential which is essential for this region. Obama’s endorsement should not be seen just lip service but an articulation of India true position in this century. As Obama put it- that India is not emerging, it has emerged.
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