When giants are in conflict

After being completely exhausted by the packed traffic, when I finally managed to reach the Chinese embassy in New Delhi just a minute before the scheduled time of the meeting with one of the embassy officials, I found him waiting for me with seven books, documentaries and write-ups on China’s progress, relations with India, the Tibet issue and many more. Without giving me a chance to utter anything, he started speaking on all possible issues associated with India with proofs and statistics which made me feel that Chinese believe in statistics. However, be it at the personal, trade or diplomatic level, there is always a lot of speculation, doubt and uncertainty when it comes to the relationship between Chinese and Indians. Both consider each other friends – outwardly – while behaving as enemies from inside. B&E tries to explore the unique relationship in Chinese words. Here is what China has to say about its friendly enemy India, in a friendly healthy discussion. Some excerpts:

“5 things we appreciate about India...”

CULTURE & BOLLYWOOD: India is culturally very rich. Such a diverse society still united without much chaos and hesitation - that is a remarkable achievement for a country. Moreover, one of the best things China appreciates and Chinese are becoming crazy about is the emergence of Bollywood and popularity of Bollywood actors in China. Indian stars and celebrities are regularly coming to China to perform. There is a huge popularity of Indian movies and movie stars, which is gradually increasing. Raj Kapoor’s films (especially “Awara”, “Sangam” and “Mera Naam Joker”) still have much influence in China. Shahrukh Khan is very famous among Chinese fans.

RELIGIOUS EXCHANGE AND PILGRIMAGE: It is one important aspect of the relationship and has great potential. If the hotel rates are lowered and traffic improved, lakhs of Chinese tourists will come to visit Buddhist sites like Nalanda, Varanasi, Aurangabad. Buddism might have been born in India but it is highly practiced in China today. Hence, the places which Buddhism is associated with are considered pious land for the disciples. Recently, many Chinese scholars visited Nalanda, Arunachal and many other places to explore the undiscovered history of world’s one of the famous and practiced religions.

QUALITY OF INDIAN DOCTORS AND HEALTH PRACTITIONERS: China perhaps could not forget the sacrifices and contributions of Indian doctors for their country. Dwarkanath Kotnis, the famous Indian doctor is an example for the same for whom the Premier Wen Jiabao himself came and delivered a commemoration speech in his praise and in memory of many other Indian doctors who are selflessly contributing to the Chinese health care system. Chinese people are still grateful to those Indian doctors (Dr. Kotnis, B.K.Basu, M. Atal, M.Chilkar, D. Mukerji) who came to help China while we fought Japanese invaders in the 1930s. That’s why President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao went to visit relatives of Dr. Kotnis in Mumbai when they came to India.

ECONOMIC RELATIONS: Both the countries are having excellent trade relations. The bilateral trade volume has increased to $51.8 billion which is expected to go up as BRIC reports state that these two Asian giants can contribute hugely in the global trade, especially in the era of globalisation. Apart from this bilateral relation in regard to international relation, climate change and human rights issues are some of the positive initiatives undertaken by them. Moreover, Indian software and pharmaceutical industry and their products enjoy high esteem in China, even better than Western brands. Brands like Tata, software giants like Infosys and Wipro offered software training to lakhs of Chinese and made big money. In addition, military exchange and trust building initiatives are some of the positive developments. High level visits, two joint anti-terror exercises both in China and India were held which are good signs.

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Both K. V. Kamath and Deepak Parekh won’t be around as ceos in 2010

At Business & Economy, we could not resist asking the inevitable question: Was Deepak Parekh really better than K. V. Kamath? Even five years ago, when HDFC appeared a little somnolent and ICICI was taking aggressive growth to new heights, the question would have been laughable (In fact, many die hard fans of Kamath in Mumbai still find the question outrageous!). We spoke to many senior and mid-level professionals in the financial services industry to get their opinion and verdict. Most were willing to talk; but off the record. But a sense of what a majority had to say about the duo can be gleaned from what Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Equity Head of SMC Capitals Ltd. tells Business & Economy, “Mr. Kamath and Mr. Parekh are two of the finest leaders that India has ever produced. While it is very difficult to pick the better of the two, the award should go to Mr. Parekh for the ‘quality growth’ that has been displayed by HDFC. However, one can’t take away any credit from Mr. Kamath as he was the man who has redefined how India has done banking.” A top communications consultant in Mumbai who has worked on accounts of companies belonging to both the HDFC and ICICI conglomerates disagrees violently. “Parekh has always been the establishment man; please remember he virtually inherited HDFC. On the other hand, Kamath has been classically entrepreneurial. Look at the value, the institutions, the wealth and the sheer number of jobs he has created virtually from scratch,” he says. According to him, Kamath is the Dhirubhai Ambani of the financial services industry in India while Parekh is more in the Ratan Tata mould (Incidentally, the personal favourite of Deepak Parekh when it comes to entrepreneurs is Dhirubhai Ambani!) We decided to check out some ratings and some statistics to compare the two legacies. Let’s take a look at ratings issued by Fitch Ratings.

The sovereign long term outlook for both ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank is negative. But if you factor in the parent company HDFC, the Parekh legacy appears much more sound. Here is what the Fitch report says about ICICI Bank, “…Asset quality is, however, deteriorating and could lead to a lowering of individual rating if the deterioration is significant…” On HDFC, the report says, “…ratings are driven by its strong performance and financial position which are consistently among the best for Indian banks.”

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An Italian hamlet

Stretching over 50 km along the southern side of the Sorrentine Peninsula, the Amalfi Coast is one of the most intriguing coastlines in Europe. Deep valleys run down to the sea, confirming the conventional interplay between land and sea. The coast is made up of soaring limestone cliffs terraced with scented lemon groves. For some of the most scenic coastal villages in the world, Amalfi is also listed as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. While savouring the Coast at twilight is a fantastic pleasure, renowned for its rugged terrain, Amalfi is fast becoming the numero uno choice for trekkers!

Once in Amalfi, a visit to The Cathedral (Duomo of St. Andrew), decorated with modern mosaic, is a must. It has a magnificent portico with pointed arches and The Crypt contains the remains of the Apostle St. Andrew. The Arsenal is located on the left of the ‘Porta della Marina’, one of the oldest doors through which soldiers ventured into the sea. Renowned for its emerald green waters, Emerald Grotto, is set in the charming bay of Conca Dei Marini.

Located along the entire stretch of the coast are small towns like Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and Salerno. Statle 163 – the road connecting these picturesque towns – is built around mountains, and provides a breathtaking view of the sea.

The pearl of the coast – Positano, is considered to be one of the most striking and expensive places in the world... a “vertical” village with houses organised in a coloured cascade along the hills. The town itself is an engineering marvel; soak up the sun as you hit Santa Croce, or simply climb up the terraces of Villa Rufolo and Cimbone at Ravello, where visitors can admire a wonderful panorama. Of late, Ravello has been gaining popularity because of its Festival Internazionale di Musica. While town hopping, Correale Museum and the Piazza Tasso, the cathedral in the charming town of Sorrento, with its hidden creeks and picturesque beaches makes for time well spent.

Amalfi is an ideal ensemble of mysterious alleyways, enchanting landscape and lazy beaches. With its beautiful seaside setting, be prepared for being bewitched!

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Did this ‘Tortoise’ beat that ‘Hare’?

Both K. V. Kamath and Deepak Parekh won’t be around as ceos in 2010. Manish K. Pandey, Deepak Ranjan Patra and Angshuman Paul talk to people in the financial services industry to compare the legacies of the titans

Both started their careers when India Inc. was reeling under a tidal wave of nationalisation and ‘hard’ socialism of the early 1970s that all but smothered entrepreneurship in the country. Both belong to ‘communities’ that have acquired considerable fame for their entrepreneurial skills; one is from Mangalore while the other is of course a Gujarati. You could say that one of them had banking in his genes; his grandfather and father were both bankers. The other ‘discovered’ himself through banking. One was already part of India’s ‘elite’ while growing up, did his chartered accountancy from London and started his career with Ernst & Young in New York. The other came from far off Mangalore from a middle class family and chased his aspirational El Dorado by pursuing an MBA in IIM, Ahmedabad after an engineering degree from a government college. While the first was flying high in New York, the other quietly joined a public sector development lending institution called ICICI. A few years later, even as the man from Mangalore was gradually moving up the public sector ladder, his contemporary was persuaded by a maternal uncle to come and work for an Indian organisation. The maternal uncle happened to be the founder of HDFC.

Of course you have guessed the identities of the two by now. The man from Mangalore is none other than K. V. Kamath, who retired this year as the Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Bank. The chartered accountant who went on to work for his uncle is Deepak Parekh who is all set to step down as the Executive Chairman of HDFC. For the last two decades, the two have towered over the financial services industry in India like titans. There is not a shadow of doubt that both Parekh and Kamath have been unparalleled game changers and that their exit leaves a void that no individual can yet fill. Sure there is Chanda Kochhar who replaced Kamath at ICICI; sure there is Keki Mistry who will replace Parekh. Then there is Shikha Sharma, formerly of ICICI who is now duplicating her former employer’s unbridled aggression at Axis Bank. Then there is – according to many – the unheralded Aditya Puri who heads HDFC Bank and also the understated Renu Karnad, who will now be the Managing Director of HDFC. But virtually everyone in the financial services industry agrees that Kamath and Parekh are in a league of their own. There is a complete consensus in the industry that the two have left corporate legacies and institutions that will endure for a long, long time.

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A dilemma for US

Obama needs to be cautious and should let Sana'a deal with al-Qaeda on Yemeni soil

A famous maxim in Yemen goes like “Min Ratl Hakya Tafham Wiqya”. Loosely, it can be translated as, “From a pound of talk, an ounce of understanding.” And that is what seems to be happening in Sana’a these days. Amid alleged botched up attempt to blow a US airliner and the subsequent shifting of focus on Yemen, it is hard to say whether the West and the Arab Republic have a coherent view to deal with the quagmire.

In reality, the incident has the potential to become an archetypal case of colossal overreaction that will lead to playing right into the hands of terrorist groups. The Obama regime, which has closely followed the Yemen question, and has been working closely in the past with the Yemen government, is finding it difficult to react to the present situation. There are more than obvious indications that in absence of better idea, it will fall back to classic Bush-era handbook and troubleshooting guide that is full of theoretical and operational mistakes.

Although Obama has made it clear that he has no intent to send troops to Yemen, adding that he still thinks that the al-Qaeda is still active along the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, it will be interesting to see how things shape up in coming months.

“I have every intention of working with our international partners in lawless areas around the globe to make sure that we're keeping the American people safe,” Obama was quoted as saying.

Yemen’s disintegrating financial system has shaped ground for the swell of radicalism and the rise of secessionist activities. Financial woes in the country has been aggravated by prevalent fraud, social inequality and a sharp decline in oil income, which makes up two-third of Yemeni state revenues.

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RBI experts claiming that there is no need for any monetary tightening

Although with government advisors and RBI experts claiming that there is no need for any monetary tightening as the prices will flatten out with the rabi crop about to hit markets, there is no denying the fact that this is yet another test on the tightrope for the UPA to balance credit availability to India Inc. thereby creating jobs and taming inflation. Unfortunately, as long as politicians continue to play ‘sugary’ politics and developmental issues remain on the backburner, high liquidity would continue to chase few assets and demand would continue to rise. As Dr Anand asserts that to put the leash on inflation especially with regards to food, “only long term solution lies in achieving rapid rise in productivity that can control or bring down costs per unit of production - vast possibilities remain in this regard.”

But with the trinity of abysmal infrastructure, rogue politicians and burgeoning population ruling the roost, no central banker, interest rate cut or monetary tightening can climb this stallion without hurting the backbone. For now, the only definition that can be given to inflation, as in the words of Milton Friedman, is “inflation is taxation without legislation”.

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Our pedagogy should look beyond exams and help students fulfil their dreams

Keeping this in view, India must immediately put a stop to the process of board examinations. Apart from India, there are very few countries in the world which follow this board examination system. In this regard, Kapil Sibal’s decision of doing away with the Tenth board examinations is a welcome step. There are a few schools as well as colleges in India that have come up on the pattern followed by the West. But they are very few in number. And most of these institutions are too costly for an average Indian to afford. There is a need for more of such institutions. But the pace at which modern institutes modelled on the western principle are coming up, there is scope for optimism. This will revolutionise the education system. The spread of Internet will ensure that teachers need not be physically present in classrooms. Desktops will, no doubt, replace blackboards.

However, adapting to this new system will pose a serious challenge to Indian teachers, long used to traditional modes and tools of tutoring. Since bookish knowledge won’t suffice, they will have to rise to the challenge of satisfying the students’ inquisitiveness. In other words, they need to have solid grasp over their respective subjects. But looking at the current crop of teachers in colleges and universities, one wonders if they will fit the bill. Another problem that plagues the Indian education system is its lopsided stress on traditional courses at the expense of professional courses.

The government is blissfully unaware of the challenges that it is going to face in the future. It becomes evident when you see the policy mandarins wasting resources on extravagant buildings and not on introducing scientifically designed textbooks.

The B.Ed examination system that has been made compulsory for school teachers primarily focuses on teaching techniques and is in no position to judge the command the teachers enjoy over their respective subjects of expertise. In a way, it is accepted that a teacher, who, in most cases, is a graduate, is qualified enough to teach in schools. This is fundamentally flawed. The B. Ed system should be designed in a way that it incorporates all the new researches and information that have come up in a particular subject.

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Rajkumar Hirani may seem to have the box office midas touch

Next, Hirani set his sights on something even more ambitious – making the Mahatma and his philosophy relevant again. Thus was born “Lage Raho Munnabhai”. The real genius though was how his script managed to bring out the essence of Gandhi’s teachings without sounding idealistic and boring for even one bit. That a bhai would get down to Gandhigiri was the ultimate stroke of genius that made “Lage Raho…” a winner all the way, igniting a mini revolution in its wake.

And of course, now there’s “3 Idiots”. How is “3 Idiots” significant? “The most important thing about the movie is that it attempts to tell a story of self-discovery”, says Aamir Khan. The self-discovery was not just for those on screen and it spilled over to the audience as well, presenting a moment of introspection over the chinks in our education system. To be sure, the film isn’t merely an indictment of the system, as some naysayers are protesting. Rather it’s a careful juxtaposition of an interesting story with the paradox of the system – consistently refuting to redefine those round holes which young ‘square peg’ students keep trying to fit into. Noted film-critic and director Kunal Kohli tells TSI, “I really liked the movie and I feel it will have an impact on the education system in India…it has already started a debate.” Hirani’s films seem to have this uncanny knack to stimulate discussions and debates and kickstart action. Remember all those flowers and ‘get well soon’ cards sent in the spirit of Gandhigiri?

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Sanjay Dutt was a rare instance of a star-son who survived

Manoj Kumar’s son Kunal Goswami suffered no better. Kunal was launched with the one-and-only Sridevi in “Kalaakar”. That bombed. Kunal struggled on for a bit, then quit.

Rajendra Kumar’s son Kumar Gaurav was an overnight superstar with “Love Story”. Subsequently, a string of non-starters like “Star” and “Teri Kasam” wiped Gaurav’s promising career off. Gaurav’s brother-in-law Sanjay Dutt was a rare instance of a star-son who survived.

But what about Joy Mukherjee’s son Boy, and Biswajeet’s son Prosenjit? While Boy vanished after a launch in his early film, Prosenjit made his debut opposite the astonishing Mumtaz in the generation-challenged love story “Aandhiyan”. He’s now a superstar in Bengal.

Among Raj Babbar’s two sons the legitimate Aarya Babbar, and Pratik Babbar who was born out of wedlock, (Smita Patil being his mother) Pratik seems to be doing well for himself for no other reason except that he appears more unpredictable in his acting skills than his elder (step) brother.

Perhaps, stardom has more to do with that quality of unpredictably than dynastic links. Actors from the Kapoor household have been a mixed bag. If everyone from Raj Kapoor’s family could be spurred into stardom, Randhir and Rishi’s youngest brother Rajiv Kapoor and Shashi Kapoor’s two children Karan and Kunal Kapoor wouldn’t have failed so miserably as actors. Anupam and Kirron Kher’s son Sikandar is still struggling to find a place, in spite of Yash Chopra being a family friend.

Poor Mr Chopra if he must sign a chronic struggler, why not his own son Uday?

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Abdullahs have influenced the destiny of the people of Jammu and Kashmir

Power was then passed on to his eldest son Farooq Abdullah—a medical doctor. He contested from Ganderbal in 1983, 1987 and 1996 and won each time. The seat had earlier been represented by NC candidates in 1957 and 1962.

“People still remember the sacrifices of Sheikh Abdullah. They vote for NC as a tribute to him 27 years after his death,” says Shabir Masoodi, lawyer and son of Moulana Masoodi, NC's founder general secretary.

Kashmir’s voters, though, can be unsparing. In 2002, for the first time in the family's history, the Abdullahs were shaken when the NC’s chief ministerial candidate and Farooq's son, Omar Abdullah, faced a humiliating defeat at the hands of a little-known candidate of the newly formed People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Qazi Muhammad Afzal. Observers believed that this was the voters’ way of punishing the Abdullahs for having taken their constituency too much for granted.


Kashmir’s history had turned bloody by then and militants ruled the valley but the Abdullahs, it seemed, had not cared enough for the people. “Rather than look into the grievances and sufferings of this area, Farooq Abdullah, who was elected from Ganderbal in 1996, spent most of his time abroad during his six-year tenure,” says Abdul Rashid Lone. Rashid’s father Haji Gulam Rasool Lone, a block president of the National Conference, had been killed by militants in September 2001. “Nobody except some local leaders visited our home after the horrifying incident,” says Rashid.

Yet from somewhere in the wilderness, Sheikh Abdullah’s voice still called and people were behind his heirs. Among the many things that he did for his people was pass the Big Landed Estates Abolition Act, commonly known as “Land to Tiller Act” in 1950. It gave land rights to farmers who tilled the land for landowners. “The new law ended landlordism in the state,” says M. Y. Teng, scholar and Sheikh Abdullah’s biographer.

Yet holding on to the lion’s lair can be a difficult proposition. “The new generation does not know who Sheikh Sahib was. They want development, employment wand better educational facilities. They ask why we still have just 52 per cent literacy in Ganderbal and why we have only one degree college in the area,” says trader Gulam Rasool Ganaie. During his election campaign in 2008, Omar Abdullah, currently the state’s youngest chief minister, apologised for his party's mistakes during 1996-2002 and promised his voters that NC, if voted to power, would bring about a revolution in the development of Ganderbal and the rest of of the state.

“Omar Abdullah is praised for his honesty. People have faith in him. They only hope he will not repeat the mistakes that his father committed after winning the 1996 elections. Now it’s up to him to keep his word,” Ayobe Sabir, a local journalist tells TSI. And of course, Omar Abdullah has a lineage to live up to. And in Ganderbal, lineage does matter.

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Sanjay Gandhi did his bit to nurture Amethi

Neighbouring Amethi is similarly devoted to the family and has in the last 14 Lok Sabha elections, returned a Congress candidate 12 times. In fact, it was Indira Gandhi herself who had started paying attention to Amethi and its 12 lakh population. Even Sanjay Gandhi did his bit to nurture Amethi. In 1980, after Indira's death, Rajiv set up the Indian Institute for Information Technology and a degree college. Besides Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Indo Gulf Fertilisers, when Gandhi family loyalist Capt Satish Sharma took over as the petroleum minister he gave the region a gas bottling plant.

Although all of Amethi’s electoral battles have been one-sided, the most interesting no doubt has been that of Rajiv Gandhi versus Menaka Gandhi in 1989 where the former got an awesome 83.2 per cent of the vote.

Though not a part of active politics, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra makes election campaigning in Amethi a family affair, carrying along her two children, sharing meals with local women. Gaya Prasad Bhakul, a 60-year-old, says the transformation of Amethi has been like the unfolding of magic. “Once there was nothing. Now we have roads, a functional transport system, a colony for the Scheduled Castes, a veterinary hospital, a solar power system, a degree college….name it and we have it, just because of the Gandhis.” Each resident feels a personal bond with the Gandhis, and each has a story to narrate. Khaliq, a young man in his 20s, tells of how he had met with an accident near Jagdishpur Idgah where his motorbike rammed into a truck. He went into a coma and was admitted to a local hospital. When Rahul came to know, he spoke to Khaliq’s father, arranged for an air ambulance and flew the patient to Apollo Hospital, Delhi for treatment.

The Gandhis are not without their detractors though. Many say the pace of development is too slow, but with a hostile state government and an ailing party structure in the state (which has seen signs of revival of late) this is only to be expected.

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Troops withdrawal

On May 24, 2000, Israel completed the withdrawal of its forces from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 425. The then Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, had earlier pledged during the election campaign about the withdrawal. In March 1978, Israel launched Operation Litani, taking control of southern Lebanon illegally. Immediately following the start of Israel’s aggression, the U.N. Security Council passed two resolutions. Resolution 425 called for Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territory and Resolution 426 established the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon. As usual, Israel did not comply with the UN decision and stayed. And as if that was not enough, it stood in agreement as militias massacred hundreds of refugees in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. However, the persistent attacks by Hezbollah fighters for close to two decades let to the troop’s withdrawal in 2002.

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Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, managed to keep the Telangana issue from boiling over ...

The late Congress chief minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, managed to keep the Telangana issue from boiling over through a policy of carrot and stick. TRS broke its alliance with the Congress in 2006. TRS was headed for a spilt and its members were caught in scandals and criminal cases. TRS fared poorly in the by-polls which followed the mass resignations by its MPs and MLAs. The party came a cropper again in the 2009 general elections despite its ‘opportunistic’ grand alliance with TDP and Left parties.

“He had not even mustered enough courage to contest the Greater Hyderabad civic body elections last month. But, our party arrived to his rescue and helped him rise like a phoenix from the ashes,” the Congress leader scoffs.


“The Telangana agitation in 1969 was started by the people of the region when they felt that the Andhra leaders had flouted the Gentlemen's Agreement, worked out during the merger of Andhra state and Telangana region in Hyderabad state. The supreme sacrifice of 400 glorious fighters went in vain after Telangana leaders like Marri Chenna Reddy fished in troubled waters,” Rajaiah of Telangana Writers’ Forum tells TSI. With the newly launched Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS), Reddy romped home during 1971 general elections with 10 Lok Sabha seats out of the 14 from Telangana. But TPS merged with the Congress. After assuming office of the sixth chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in March, 1978, Chenna Reddy announced that a separate Telangana was no longer an issue.

“But it was always an issue with the people of Telangana, ever since the mid-1940s,” Jayasankar, the TRS ideologue, says. According to him, “some people in the Hyderabad state under Nizam migrated to places like Nagpur and Bezwada (Vijayawada now), to get rid of the atrocities of Razakars in connivance with Nizam rulers. People in Nagpur were affectionate in providing the migrants shelter and food, whereas the ‘materialistic’ Andhras exploited them with higher rentals and high prices for commodities. They were also heckled for the language they spoke.”

Durgam Ravindar, a scholar and writer on Telangana affairs, recalls a few more bitter experiences of the people of Telangana during 1948-52, when Hyderabad state was under civil and military administrators’ rule.

“That period saw a huge influx of people of Andhra region into Telangana. They took away all the new positions. Lakhs of Andhrites migrated to Telangana occupying many positions in government offices, banks, schools, colleges, universities. A huge number of of businessmen from Andhra also arrived who had sold off their lands and assets in Andhra. They set up business in the Telangana region,” he said. When the people of Telangana realised how Andhraites were able to secure jobs using fake certificates of Mulki (local), they started a protest called ‘Gair Mulki Go Back (Non-Mulki Go Back),” he says.

Besides their own experience of marginalisation, the forewarning of the chairman of first States Reorganisation Commission (SRC), Sayyid Fazl Ali, against the merger of Andhra state and Telangana region during the mid 1950s, contributed to escalation of tensions. In the report, Fazl Ali asserts that, “educationally backward people of Telangana may be swamped and exploited by the more advanced people of the coastal areas.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Start of a new political order

Incidentally, if the sustained opposition of the people of Okinawa is one of the reasons for American decision to shift a part of the base to the island of Guam, the other reason is invariably to keep a closer eye on the overambitious Chinese Navy. But the US plan to piggyback on Japan through the creation of ballistic missile defence system in Japan and base realignment seems to be facing more resistance than America estimated. It is now clear that Japan does not consider China as a much a threat as US would want to. Not only is the newly elected regime interested in reviewing all the deals, it is also going ahead with its plan to create something called the East Asian Community, a group which would include China too. This no doubt is a real shocker for a beleaguered US already reeling under the burden of Afghanistan, Iraq and recession. And already, there are plans afoot for a joint Sino-Japanese military exercise, proof enough of the shape of things to come. Even Obama’s recent visit in Japan was not enough to thwart that from happening.

To a large extent, the US itself is to blame. American officials and government representatives have in the past taken for granted Japanese acquiescence to such an extent as to almost humiliate Japan. In fact, a weekly column by Gordon C. Chang in Forbes two months ago was titled Humiliating Japan, and covered the various instances where America has slighted and belittled Japanese representatives to such an extent as to be shocking. In one instance, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, while visiting Japan in October 2009, embarrassed the Hatoyama government by publicly commenting that the Japanese proposal to reconsider the past agreement was “immensely complicated and counterproductive.” Gates proceeded to tell Japan in flat terms that it was time to “move on.”

Hatoyoma is no spring chicken, and the Obama administration is ruing that fact to no ends. The DPJ led Hatoyoma, with the backing of a nation – if Okinawa residents’ sentiments were any evidence – is intent on giving America a deserving payback with interest! While all this might sound wonderful to the galleries, and even to traditional America baiters, what is most unfortunate in this issue is that China, ergo, could well emerge as the key force in the currently unipolar world.

To that extent, Obama holds amazing promise. If he has managed to start engaging the likes of Iran, then Japan is purely an Enid Blyton flick. If patriotism needs proof, a glance at Japanese resurgence post World War II should be enough to fill the file. All it would take for America is to ensure that its key representatives understand that the Japanese are extremely critical about respect – individual, family, national. A resurgent Japan with a new government, an independent foreign policy and an urge to unshackle itself from the remaining US clutches can any day be a force to reckon with, especially if misguided by Chinese aspirations and back door politicking. Obama’s representatives have to realise, Japan is no Iran!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Sreedhar Chowdhary - Husband of Congress leader Renuka Chowdhary

As Union minister for women and child development in UPA-1, the feisty Renuka Chowdhary was always in the news, but we rarely heard of or saw her entrepreneur-husband, Sreedhar Chowdhary. So when, after tabling the Domestic Violence Bill, she quipped in Parliament that “it’s now men’s turn to suffer,” it set tongues wagging. Even as her detractors launched a scathing attack on her, some people wondered about the health of her marital life.

The reality is that Renuka is indeedSreedhar’s better half. While she stays out of her hubby’s business affairs, the latter is a constant presence in her political life. He plays a key role during her electoral campaigns, besides taking care of her other political needs. But he takes care never to exceed the brief of an aide – Renuka is her own boss when it comes to her official duties. “I learnt from my father, an upright Air Force officer, to respect and accept. My real journey began only after my marriage,” says Renuka. “Of course, I encouraged her but it was no big deal. I have more confidence in her than she has in herself,” a media shy Sreedhar says. “She is an impressively balanced person. She wields authority with a sense of responsibility and humility," he adds.

To enable Renuka to experience peace and tranquility, Sreedhar has built a Hanuman temple in the family’s farmhouse in Shameerpet on the outskirts of Hyderabad. When their first daughter, filmmaker Poojita Chowdhary, found herself at the crossroads – she couldn’t decide between a career in films and joining her father’s business – Sreedhar helped her straddle both worlds. Now she is a proud producer and director of two short films, Sand in my Nostrils and Gender Bender.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Apocalypse!!!

Let technocracts manage

The shocking revelations made by Indian Army to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence regarding the dismal level of preparedness of the army, shatters much of the faith that people of this country had on the ability of parliamentary democracy to take care of the defence preparedness. This issue of the lack of preparedness on the part of the army does not mean that the foot soldier in army is no more willing to sacrifice his life for his nation. Even today, he is as much committed to the cause of the nation as he has always been. But there is a limit to how much the commitment of the foot soldiers or their field commanders can essentially win wars for the nation unless they are given the right kind of weapons to fight with.

Unfortunately that decision regarding the urgency of the need of such requirements and to buy that at literally the speed of thought, cannot be taken by them or their superiors. That decision is at the discretion of the political leadership of the country and the bureaucracy. Often, irrespective of whosoever is in the ruling dispensation, the politico-bureaucracy class has little or no understanding of the warfare doctrines or strategies. And therefore, for silly reasons of propriety, geopolitical considerations and of course the corruption factor, decisions with respect to purchase of weapon systems move at the pace of the sloth. This problem gets aggravated by the fact that none from the politico-bureaucracy class or their progeny ever have to face the music of the advancing enemy. It would still be the ill-equipped foot soldier who would be asked to prove his patriotism and commitment to the call of duty while facing bullets. It would not be a botheration, if that foot soldier still continues to be lacking amenities as basic as knee and elbow guards, a bullet proof jacket which can thwart a bullet in reality and night vision goggles. It’s a shocker that India has not bought howitzers for two decades now, time since the Bofors scandal was exposed. The Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) deal is nowhere near completion till date. And the first plane from that would not arrive possibly before 2015. The army and the paramilitary continues to use vintage carbines and they have not yet been replaced. Shockingly most of the equipment, sought by the NSG after the 26/11, are still in the pipeline and there seems to be no urgency on the part of the government to take up these issues of acquisitions on a war footing. The case is the same with respect to LCA, IRBMs, purchase of combat and transport helicopters, anti-material guns and submarines. Incidentally, the trend is that successive governments have taken a lot of pride in cancelling defence deals in order to prove their credentials and devotion to the cause of propriety. It is not the propriety factor, which would come to the aid of India in case of a crisis, but the acquired equipments that would save the nation.

Not every minister is P Chidambaram. And thus, it is important for the bureaucracy to make sure that the foot soldier is not let down in the battle field. Unfortunately, the Indian bureaucracy especially the IAS officers have exemplified in their ineptness in handling defence and home ministries. What India needs today is a dedicated cadre who have been educated in military, conflict management and strategic studies to man the defence and home ministries. The need of the day is a new stream like Indian Defence Service on the lines of IFS or IRS. Unless that is done, the Indian foot soldier would continue to be an ill-equipped and dispensable commodity, always let down by the babus sitting in cosy offices.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
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1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You