Indian Weekender 30 January 2015

8/9/2019 Indian Weekender 30 January 2015

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30 January 20151

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R-DAY SPECIAL

INDIAS POWER PLAY: THE 66THREPUBLIC DAY Maya Shivam

Though India became a free nationon August 15, 1947, it declareditself a Sovereign, Democratic and

Republic state with the adoption of

the Constitution on January 26, 1950.

A salute of 21 guns and the

unfurling of the Indian National Flag

by Dr Rajendra Prasad heralded the

historic birth of the Indian Republic

on that day. Thereafter, 26th of

January was decreed a national

holiday and was recognised as the

Republic Day of India.

The Constitution gave citizens

of India the power to choose their

own government and paved the

way for democracy. Dr Prasad took

oath as the rst President of India

at the Durbar Hall in Government

House and this was followed by the

Presidential drive along a ve-mile

route to the Irwin Stadium, where he

unfurled the National Flag.

Today, India boasts of being the

largest democracy in the world and

the Republic Day is synonymous

with the Countrys power display.

This year, military precision

blended seamlessly with cultural

diversity at Indias 66th Republic

Day parade, where US President

Barack Obama was the chief guest.

Heavy armour, marching

contingents of the armed forces

and the paramilitary and police

forces, interspersed with brass and

pipe bands - tableaux depicting the

multifarious multicultural heritage of

this rich vast land and schoolchildren

dancing merrily in spite of the chill

marked the event, crowned by a

ypast that many apprehended would

not happen due to the weather.

For the rst time, an all-womens

contingent drawn from the three

services was featured at the event,

while the Indian Army, the Indian

Navy and the Indian Air Force also

elded all-women contingents.

Keeping up with the theme of Nari

Shakti (Women Power), this year

saw women ofcers in the lead in

numerous contingents.

In another rst, a day before,

a woman ofcer from the Indian

Air Force - Wing Commander Puja

Thakur, led the ceremonial guard

of honour presented to visiting

US President Barack Obama at

Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Thakur was seen -- and heard

-- giving commands, which were

followed by the national anthems of

the US and India. The 21-gun salute

boomed next.

Thakur then escorted Obama for

the inspection of the tri-service guard

of honour.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra

Modi drove to India Gate to lay

a wreath at the Amar JawanJyoti

memorial to the unknown soldier.

He later drove back to the saluting

base at Rajpath to welcome Obama

and President Pranab Mukherjee,

who took the salute at the two-hour

parade.

There were many rsts at this

Republic Day event. The tableaux

depicting Make in India, Swachh

Bharat, Beti Bachao to name a few,

were seen at the parade for the rst

time, along with the regulars like the

Dare Devils and the ypasts by the

ghters of the Indian Air Force that

are amongst the all time favourites.

The following features bring to

you more details on the splendor and

celebration that marked the Indian

Republic Day this year.

The Indian Weekender wishes all

its readers a very happy Republic

Day.Continued on Pg 4


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30 January 20154

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Continued on Pg 5

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Womens power, pomp, Obama at R-Day Vishnu Makhijani

If the annual Republic Day parade isknown for its pomp and splendour,the 66th edition will remain etched in

the memory for two other factors - the

womens power showcased during

the two-hour event and the presence

of US President Barack Obama as

the chief guest on the occasion.

Quite appropriately, the honour of

leading the marching contingents was

given to the one drawn from the three

services, while the Indian Army, the

Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force

also elded all-womens contingents.

A woman led the Indian Navy

contingent while a tableau depicted

the success achieved by an all-

womens team in scaling the worlds

highest mountain, Mount Everest.

All this, coupled with a woman

leading the contingent that presented

a guard of honour to US President

Barack Obama Sunday is reportedly

Modis way of showcasing womens

power in India - despite the many

stories of atrocities on women and the

odds stacked against them socially.

With woman power as the theme

for this years Republic Day parade,

there was another feather in the cap

when Captain Haobam Bella Devi

unfurled the tricolour at Rajpath, New

Delhi.

Devi hails from Manipur. A second

generation army ofcer, she belongs

to the Indian Armys Ordnance Corps.

According to the custom, the ag

is unfurled after the president ascends

the podium along with the chief guest.

The commanding ofcer of

Presidents Bodyguard gives

command for salute. The national ag

is unfurled, the national anthem is

R-DAY SPECIAL


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Continued on Pg 6

played and 21-gun salute is given.

The day began cloudy and rainy and there

were apprehensions that the ypast, one of

the most-eagerly awaited events at the parade,

would be curtailed but, in the end, the weather

cleared sufciently for this to take place though

the sky remained overcast.

Before the proceedings began, Prime Minister

Narendra Modi, resplendent in a tricolour turban

and for whom it was his rst Republic Day

parade, drove to India Gate to lay a wreath at

the Amar Jawan Jyoti memorial to the unknown

soldier.

He later drove back to the saluting base

at Rajpath to welcome Obama and President

Pranab Mukherjee, who took the salute at the

two-hour parade.

Before it commenced, Mukherjee handed

over posthumous Ashok Chakras - the nations

highest military award in peacetime - to the

widows of Major Mukund Vardarajan and Naik

Neeraj Kumar Singh, who were killed in counter-

insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

R-DAY SPECIAL


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Continued from Pg 5

As in the past, the marching

contingents stole the show with

their dazzling array of ceremonial

uniforms, leaving the audience in

the jam-packed stands - despite the

cold - spoilt for choice: the blue and

gold trimmed tunics of the 61 Cavalry

contrasting with the vivid red turbans

of the Brigade of the Guards, the

red-gold turbans of the Jammu and

Kashmir Light Infantry and the green-

blue turbans of a Territorial army unit

attached to the Punjab Regiment.

Most of the paramilitary and police

contingents were in regulation khaki

but they too got a look-in, thanks

to their ceremonial cummerbunds,

sashes and turbans.

Notably, the mechanised columns

were down to a minimum this time

around - perhaps to paper over the

fact that 70 percent of the hardware

with the armed forces is imported, a

situation that Modis Make in India

initiative hopes to reverse.

The music, as usual, made for

considerable patriotic fervour, what

with rousing tunes like Sare Jahan

Se Aacha, Hanste Lushai, Kadam

Kadam Badahe Ja and Sound Barrier,

many of which had Obama keeping

time - which he also did when the

tableaux came on with their wealth of

folk music.

This also made for a seamless

blend of military might and heritage

as 25 tableaux - 16 from the states

and nine from various ministries -

graphically displayed Indias rich

cultural diversity.

Andhra Pradesh chose to do this

through a harvest festival; Madhya

Pradesh highlighted the Bhagoria

festival of love and matchmaking;

Uttarakhand through the pilgrimage

to Kedarnath; Sikkim through

cardamom farming, Assam by re-

creating Majuli, the worlds largest

river island; Telangana by re-creating

the Golconda fort and Haryana

with likeness of the Sultanpur Bird

Sanctuary - quite naturally, with

twittering birds.

The Make in India tableau by

the department of industrial policy

and promotion depicted a mechanised

lion against the backdrop of a smart

city. The campaign aims to promote

manufacturing in India.

Another pet project of the prime

minister, the Beti Bachao Beti

Padhao programme, a campaign

against female foeticide which he

launched from Panipat in Haryana Jan

22, was also featured in a tableau.

And, as usual, the ower-bedecked

tableau of the Central Public Works

Department drew loud applause. It

featured the source of the Ganga river

high up in the Himalayas.

The weather began to lift as the

tableaux were rolling down Rajpath

and just as the schoolchildren had

nished their routines, three Mi-35

attack helicopters of the IAF streamed

in through the somewhat cloudy sky.

Then, in quick succession came

the newly acquired C-130J Super

Hercules medium-lift transport, the

P8I maritime reconnaissance aircraft

escorted by MiG-29 combat jets (both

of the Indian Navy), the C-17 heavy-

lift transport escorted by Sukhoi Su-

30 MKI combat jets and the Jaguars.

All this left most spectators with a

feeling of Yeh dil maange more, but

for that theyd have to wait a full year.

It would be a wait well worth it.

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Continued on Pg 8

Of umbrellas, capsand patriotic songs

With the rain playing spoilsport, thedignitaries gathered at Rajpath towitness Indias 66th Republic Day parade

were forced to wear caps and take cover

under umbrellas and raincoats.

US President Barack Obama, the chief

guest at the parade, and wife Michelle

were seated in a roofless bullet-proof glass

enclosure along with President Pranab

Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and

his wife Salma and Prime Minister Narendra

Modi.

As it started to drizzle, officials with huge ,

black umbre llas and members of the suppo rt

staff standing next to them sprang into ac tion.

While the Obamas held their own

umbrellas, the Indian dignitaries and leaders

attending the

ceremony had

their better

halves or

their official

staff holding

the cover for

them.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi also held

her own umbre lla. Two seats away, Bharatiya

Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah was

seen taking shelter under an umbrella held by

his wife.

Kiran Bedi, the BJPs chief ministerial

candidate for next months Delhi assembly

polls , wore a r aincoat.

Many dignitaries also donned caps to

R-Day

SidelightsR-D

ay

Sidelights

R-DAY SPECIAL


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Continued from Pg 7

prot ect themselves from the cold

and drizzle.

Mukherjee and Ansari sported

fur caps, Finance Minister Arun

Jaitley and senior BJP leader L.K.

Advani wore golf caps while Modi

wore a traditional and colourful

Rajasthani headgear.

MODIS SWACHH BHARAT

STUMBLES AT RAJPATH

Had Prime Minister Narendra

Modi peeked into the enclosures

erected in front of him at Rajpath

when the 66th Republic Day parade

concluded, he might have been

forced to rethink the prospects of

his pet Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or

Clean India campaign.

Soiled sheets of newspapers,

pamph lets (carrying detai ls of the

parade detai ls) and polyth ene bags

that had been used by the crowdsto clean their seats and cover their

heads during the morning drizzle

were littered all around the VIP

enclosures as the function ended.

Many of the chairs lay toppled

while the seats of almost all of the m

had shoe marks and sludge on them

as the crowd had stood atop them

minutes before to catch a glimpse

of the departing dignitaries.

WE LOVE OBAMA

The camaraderie between

visiting US President Barack

Obama and Indian Prime MinisterNarendra Modi seems to have

rubbed off on Delhiites as well.

When Obama reached Rajpath

to attend the 66th Republic Day

parade, the crowd climbe d atop

their chairs to catch a glimpse him

and his ride - The Beast.

The crowds cheered, clapped

and waved at Obama and his wife

Michelle. The Obamas too waved

back , much to the delight of the

crowds.

A group of young men even had

a huge yellow-colored poster with

the message - We Love Obama,

with a red heart signifying love.

In fact, the highly publicised

Modi-Obama chair pe charcha on

the verdant lawns of the Hyderabad

House Sunday was a hot topic of

discussion among the audience

as they waited for the parade to

begin . Most of them had gathered

since early morning, braving the

rain and the January chill.

The friendly warmth and

camaraderie between the two

leaders again evident during the

two-hour parade.

WHEN THE WEATHER GOD

SMILED

It was a wet, gloomy start to the

66th Republic Day celebrations

here as sporadic overnight rain

that continued in the morning

threatened the festivities as well as

dampened the spirits of the people.

The crowds gathered for the

function were a worried lot as the

security personnel did not allow

umbrellas inside the venue due

to safety concerns and the light

drizzle could very well have turned

into a heavy shower.

But much to their relief, half

an hour into the parade, the rain

stopped and the dark clouds that

had been hovering overhead

dispersed and later enabled them

to witness the flypast by the Indian

Air Force.

A DOSE OF PATRIOTISM

It may have been a cold, foggy

and wet Republic Day morning

but the people who packe d the

stands, some of whom had walked

for several kilometers to reach

Rajpath, were in a patriotic mood.

Despite the long queues at

the entrances, the crowds raised

slogans like Vande Mataram and

Bharat Mata Ki Jai at regular

intervals. Some of them had small

paper tri-colours pinned to their

shirts and tops while others had tr i-

coloured scarves wrapped on their

heads and around their necks.

Adding to the feel, were soul-

stirring songs like Yeh desh hain

veer jawano ka and Mere desh

ki dharti that blared out of the

address system.

However, the show stealers at

the end of the celebrations were the

saffron, white and green balloons

that were released into the sky

from different corners of Rajpath.

Insights from 66th Indian RepublicDay celebrations in New Delhi, Indiaon January 26th.

US President Barack Obamaarrives in The Beast.

PM Modi, President Mukher-jee, US President Obama andFirst Lady Michelle Obamawave at the crowd.

The tableau of the Indian Railwaysduring R-Day parade

Fly-past at the Republic Day parade.

Republic Day parade underwayat Rajpath in New Delhi.

R-DAY SPECIAL


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Ashoka Chakra for twofallen bravehearts on R-DayMajor Mukund Varadarajan and NaikNeeraj Kumar Singh were Mondayposthumously awarded the nations highest

peacetime gallantry award, the Ashoka Chakra,

at the Republic Day parade.

Both of them laid down their lives while

ghting heavily-armed terrorists in separate

gun-battles in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Their widows received the award from

President Pranab Mukherjee.

Varadarajan, of the armys 44 Rashtriya

Ries, died last April year while leading an

anti-terrorist operation in a village in Shopian

district.

A severely Varadarajan continued ghting

the enemy in the operation that resulted

in elimination of three top-ranked Hizbul

Mujaheddin terrorists. He later succumbed to

his injuries.

Singh, also from Rashtriya Ries, got killed

when he came under heavy re from terrorists

while on a search operation in the states

Kupwara district Aug 24, 2014.

A total of 374 gallantry and other defence

decorations to armed forces personnel have

been announced on the occasion of the 66th

Republic Day.

These include an Ashoka Chakra (to Singh

as Varadarajans award had been announced

on Independence Day last year), three Kirti

Chakras, 12 Shaurya Chakras, 48 Sena Medals

(Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medals (Gallantry),

11 Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 28 Param

Vishisht Seva Medals, three Uttam Yudh Seva

Medals, three Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medals,

53 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, 13 Yudh Seva

Medals, 42 Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty),

eight Nao Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), 19

Vayu Sena Medals (Devotion to Duty), four

Bars to Vishisht Seva Medals and 124 Vishisht

Seva Medals.

Wife of late Naik Neeraj Kumar Singh, (below)wife of late Major Mukund Varadarajan receiv-ing Ashok Chakra from President of IndiaPranab Mukherjee

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NEW ZEALAND

Namaste aur shubh kamanae

I hope you and your family enjoy celebrating the 66th anniversary of Indias Republic

Day.

As well as marking an important day in Indias history, this is a chance to recognise

the strong relationship New Zealand has with India, and the valuable contributions

Indian New Zealanders make to the overall success of our nation. Best wishes for the

celebrations and for a safe and prosperous 2015.

John Key

Prime Minister

Namaste, Satsriakal, Assalamu alaikum, Greetings

I would like to send my congratulations to the New Zealand Indian community as

it celebrates Indias Republic Day.

It is always pleasing to see the large numbers of major Indian organisations and

associations from around Auckland join forces to celebrate the occasion.

India is important to New Zealand as it is our main supplier of skilled migrants,

while the number of international students from India has also increased steadily over

the last few years. In the rst eight months of last year just over 15,500 Indian students

were studying in New Zealand, a 60 percent increase over the same per iod in 2013.

There are more than 155,000 Indians living in the country, making it the fastest

growing Kiwi ethnic group.

India has undergone many changes since gaining independence in 1947. Let us

hope that it will continue to progress and nd solutions to all its problems and continue

on a path for prosperity for all its citizens, irrespective of their religion, caste, region

or language.It is a day to remember and pay tribute to the great Indian leaders such as

Mahatma Gandhi and the massive independence movement.

As proved by this months meeting between the United States President Barack

Obama and the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi your nation is becoming a major

global player and we welcome it as a constructive partner on the international stage.

The Indian community is a ne and valued part of New Zealand society, and one

which is much valued by the Labour Party.

Jai Hind.

Andrew Little,

Labour Leader .

New Zealand First congratulates the Kiwi-Indian community on the occasion of

Indias Republic Day.

This will always be a signicant day on our calendar, as it is for all Kiwi Indians.

As a Kiwi Indian I look back in awe to those who helped achieve independence

for India, and I look forward to building on the links between India and New Zealand.

I hope you all had a wonderful Republic Day.

All the very best.

Mahesh Bindra

List Member of Parliament

New Zealand First


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NEW ZEALAND

Tri-colour flies high at MG Centre Rizwan Mohammad

The 66th Indian Republic Day celebrations

were held with a ag hoisting ceremony

at the Mahatma Gandhi Centre. The event

organised by Auckland Indian Association,

commenced with garlanding the statue of

Mahatma Gandhi and hoisting of the tri-colour

by chief guest Makanbai Goenbai.

This ceremony was further continued by

patriotic songs, Gujarati hymns portraying the

greatness of Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) and

speeches by representatives of various Indian

associations.

Auckland Indian Association which is

led by its President Ashokbhai Darji, was

formed in 1926 and Mahatma Gandhi Centre

was established under the association which

completes its 25 years of existence in 2015. In

the absence of the President, of the association,

acting President Nanette Nathoo who is also the

Vice President of the association, took charge

of the ceremony.

The prime activity of the association is to

maintain and promote Indian culture amongst

its vast community in Auckland and New

Zealand as a whole.

Auckland Indian Association is one of

the wings that come under the New Zealand

Indian Central Association led by Harshad

Patel. He mentions, The country had a roller-

coaster ride since its independence but is now

the powerhouse of the world. With the new

government led by Hon. PM of India Narendra

Modi, India has become one of the challenging

forces both economically and culturally to the

world.

The ceremony ended with the national

anthem and a vote of thanks by the Secretary of

the Association, Shanti Patel, to the community

who were present at the venue for ag hoisting.


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30 January 201512

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NEW ZEALAND

Diplomatic ties fly high on R-Day IWK Bureau

The 66th Indian Republic

Day celebrations in Wellington

was one of the biggest events in

years. Hosted and organised by

His Excellency the High

Commissioner of India in New

Zealand Mr Ravi Thapar and

Mrs Sharmila Thapar in association

with New Zealand India Friendship

Association (NZIFA), the fanfare

and celebrations were attended

by Ambassadors and Members

of the Diplomatic corps, from

different parts of the world along

with other distinguished guests

from the Kiwi Indian and the

larger Kiwi community. The High

Commissioners from the United

States, United Kingdom, Italy,

Israel and Pakistan graced the

event with their presence.Amongst

other guests at the occasion were

the Mayor of Wellington Celia

Wade-Brown, Minister of Ethnic

Affairs Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga,

MP Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi,

Leader of the Opposition Andrew

Little and his wife, MP Paul Foster

Bell and Honorary Consuls from

various countries. Amongst other

community leaders were Dr Kanti

Patel, Ranjana Patel, Pritipal

Singh, Roshan Nauhria, Jay

Randhawa, Sunil Kaushal to name

a few.

The celebrations were

inaugurated by the lighting

of the lamp by the Indian

High Commissioner and

Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga ,followed

by a brief speech on Indias

economy and its rich culture. The

celebrations were also marked by

cultural performances and food.

The ladies of the diplomatic corps

also accepted and wore bindi (the

dot) signifying their embracing

of the culture and wholehearted

partic ipation in the event.

The celebration back in India this

year has been a huge success,

making history with the presence of

US President Barack Obama . But

the celebration in New Zealand also

made history with it being the

bigges t celebration of the Indian

Republic Day, so far with the High

Commissioner of the United States

in attendance. Mr Thapar left no

stone unturned in making this event

a success.

We bring you a photo feature of

the event along with the speech by

His Excellency- Mr Ravi Thapar.

During its journey of 65 years as a Republic, India has

matured into a US$2.1 trillion economy, which in terms of

Purchasing Power Parity, translates into its being the third

largest economy in the world. Having evolved through

long periods of indigenous kingship and foreign rule,

India deeply values its strong democratic foundations.

Although nourished by its ancient civilizational

heritage and spiritual ethos, it actively pursues the useof scientic and technological tools for securing a better

and prosperous future for its teeming millions. Indias

immense pool of scientists and engineers has always done

the country proud. A few months ago, in September 2014,

they excelled themselves when India became the rst

country in the world to put an indigenously-designed and

manufactured satellite vehicle into the Mars orbit in the

very rst attempt, that too, at a record economical cost of

US$ 74 million, which is less than what it cost to shoot the

Hollywood blockbuster Gravity!

In the current era of globalization, Internet & social

media, jet travel and speedy telecommunications, the

whole world has shrunk into a global community.

Economic prosperity and development are no longer

merely a domestic policy concern or objective.

Various critical, global issues today are not just

addressed in parliaments and multilateral gatherings.

The social media and the virtual international

community too have a considerable say in these

matters. As more and more people connect with the

global highway, the role of the virtual international

community will become even more pronounced.

Global benchmarks and multilateral negotiations

can have a signicant bearing on any initiatives beingattempted for augmenting technology, capital and

projects for upgrading infrastructure in any country.

International cooperation between all countries,

howsoever remote and distant they might be, is hence

of high priority.

In light of this background, India has

been taking principled and informed

positions, based on discussions with

like-minded democracies, on various

issues such as poverty alleviation,

women empowerment, climate

change, reform of the international

monetary and nancial architecture,

international terrorism and all

such matters. As the most populous

democracy in the world, it looks

forward to partnering with all nations

for forging international consensus on

these important themes. We sincerely

hope and believe that given Indias

sustained and active contribution to

all such discussions, it will also have

opportunities to contribute more

tangibly to such issues in the future, as a

permanent member of a reformed and

expanded UN Security Council.

As the world grapples with chronic

trouble spots in the Middle East and in

other parts of the world, and mankind

becomes more and more embroiledin the race for political inuence

and power and weapons, the Indian

time-honoured principles of peace,

ahimsa [non-violence], democratic

governance, yoga and belief in a unied

and universal spiritual consciousness,

which have been extolled in India for

centuries, assume a special signicance.

It is in this light, that as proposed by

Honble Prime Minister of India at the

UN General Assembly in September

2014, a record 177 nations out of the

193 UN members endorsed Indias

resolution / proposal for declaring the

21st of June as the International Yoga

Day.


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NEW ZEALAND

The prospects for strengthening ongoing cooperation between both countries arehence positive and promising. New Zealand is not merely a major global supplier ofagricultural goods and primary commodities. Rather, many companies here havedeveloped smart and innovative technologies which cannot be commercializedeasily due to New Zealands modest-sized market. Given Indias rich reservoir ofscientists and engineers, professionals and consultants, substantial market andhuge middle class and ever-burgeoning economic requirements and expandinginvestments in infrastructural projects, New Zealand businesses can work closelywith their Indian counterparts for commercializing such technologies for sale notonly in India but also in other markets. The bilateral trade turnover in 2014 wasapproximately to the tune of NZ$ 1.1 billion. There are signicant opportunities forenhancing such engagement. And the investment ows need not only be gearedtowards India. Rather, as has just been established through the allocation of a largeoshore block o the Taranaki coast to ONGC Videsh Ltd. - which is a subsidiary ofits US$ 58 billion parent company Oil & Natural Gas Commission of India - Indiancompanies and corporate majors could also invest in tangible projects in NewZealand.We, at this High Commission, look forward to working with all sections of the NewZealand political, ocial and business community in stepping up multi-facetedcooperation between both countries in all these areas. A good beginning hasalready been made with the establishment of the New Zealand India FriendshipAssociation [ nzifa.org.nz] under the patronage of the High Commission. Poised toconnect centres of excellence and leading members of the professional, businessand talented stakeholder communities in India and New Zealand, the NZIFA can goa long way in deepening ongoing bilateral engagement between both countries.

The current trends of economic interdependence and electronic

connectivity also inuence bilateral relations between India and

New Zealand. In earlier years, the immense geographical divide

between India and New Zealand posed serious constraints in

intensifying linkages. Today, experts and centres of excellence in

both democracies can go digital and jointly evolve positions on

various critical issues confronting the world today. The presence

of a large overseas Indian community also facilitates such

linkages. It is noteworthy that after the last General Elections in

New Zealand in September 2014, three members of the Indianorigin community have made it to the august portals of New

Zealand Parliament. Exchange of high-level visits in recent

years from New Zealand at the level of Prime Minister, Foreign

Minister and other Cabinet-level ministers and from India at the

level of the Speaker of the Lower House of Indian Parliament,

Deputy Chairperson of the Upper House of Indian Parliament

and several Cabinet Ministers have added to the momentum of

ongoing ties.

Both countries have already laid down an extensive, theoretical

framework for strengthening bilateral relations by nalizing

MoUs for enhancing cooperation in the elds of Agriculture,

Education, Science & Technology, Audio-Visual cooperation and

promoting exchanges between supervisory authorities in the

Banking Sector. A Free Trade Agreement and a more elaborate

Air Services Agreement for facilitating better air linkages and

connectivity are also being negotiated. What is now important

is to give practical shape to some of the objectives enshrined in

these bilateral arrangements.


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POWER COLUMN

Kanwaljit Singh BakshiNational List MP

David ShearerLabour MP

Raising achievement for kids back at school

The new school year is starting,with our kids heading back tothe classroom.

National is working hard

to ensure all our kids have the

opportunity to engage in learning

that meets their needs. We want to

make sure theyre getting the best

education they can.

Were making great progress with

kids starting earlier in education,

staying longer, and leaving better

qualied.There will be over 60,000 new

entrants starting school this year,

and we want every single one to

have the chance to do their very best

and grow up to be successful in life.

This wouldnt be possible without

our dedicated teaching profession,

our school leaders, and the parents

and whanau who make sure their

kids are attending early childhood

education (ECE) or school, and

support their learning at home.

National increased ECE funding

to get more young Kiwis into

education earlier, and provide

more targeted services to best suit

communities who need them the

most.At school we introduced National

Standards, so we would have better

data to help identify where more

effort and resources need to be

focused to raise achievement.

And now we are investing in

supporting our great teachers and

principals, and their practices, across

communities of schools.

Nationals $359 million Investing

in Educational Success initiative

will lift achievement in Kiwi schools

by helping schools share their best

resources their best teachers and

principals. Children will benet

from shared teaching practices and

expertise.

Evidence shows quality ofeducation and school leadership

are the two most important factors

in a childs education, so we are

investing in these areas.

We want to see greater

collaboration among schools,

improved transition through the

education system for children, and

better career pathways for teachers.

The rst 11 communities of

schools will begin working together

this year, across different areas of the

country. Together they cover 38,000

students from primary, secondary,

intermediate and area schools.

Were making sure all kids have

their very best shot at succeeding in

education by improving the qualityof teaching and leadership in our

schools.

All parents want to see their

children lead happy, successful

lives. National believes giving every

child the best education possible

will help achieve that.

I havent met anyone whos impressed withATs road design

When Im out and about in myelectorate on the weekend, Isee a lot of Indian families enjoying

the Western Springs Park area.

Its the perfect place for a f amily

picnic in the sun or shade . People

go there because of the space, the

beautiful landscape and the trees in

the middle of our city.

You may have heard that

Auckland Transport wants to chop

down six mature Pohutukawa trees

across on the other side of Great

North Road, opposite Western

Springs.

These trees are beautiful and

without them wed look out

on acres of road and concrete.Auckland Transport is determined

to chainsaw these trees and ignore

the wishes of the community

and elected local board, who

overwhelmingly want to keep and

protec t the 80-year-old trees .

I havent met anyone whos

impressed with Auckland

Transports road design.

When I went to their liaison

meeting last week, I was stunned

at the inexible thinking of their

engineers.

Questions from local people

were treated as annoying

inconveniences.The trees on and near the park is

the reason so many people go to the

park with t heir families. My view is

that if we cant have both roads and

trees, Auckland Transport needs a

new engineering team.

It seemed obvious at the

meeting that a compromise could

be reached that would satisfy

everyone, but Auckland Transport

wasnt interested in exploring any

compromise or alternative.

Surely if we can nd room for

17 road lanes yes 17! then we

can nd room for six trees, with

all their beauty, history shade, andwelcome relief from the acres of

asphalt.

It looks like this disagreement

might go all the way to the

environment court a slow and

expensive process.

My hope is that Auckland

Transport can show some late

exibility, and a willingness to

work with others. A better design

will give Aucklanders the roads we

need without sacricing the historic

Pohutukawa trees that are after all,

the emblem of Auckland City.

Phil GoffLabour MP

Recalling Gandhis leadership, courage and intergrity

It was good to celebrate IndiaRepublic Day on 26 January and itssignicance for Indian communities

around the world. Sixty ve years

ago India completed its transition to

becoming an independent republic

and adopted its new constitution.

Symbolically this occurred on the

same day and month on which,

twenty years earlier, the Indian

National Congress proclaimed its

Declaration of Indian Independence.

Indias Republic Day is a

day to look back on with pride

and acknowledge those who

contributed to the struggle to achieve

independence.

In particular we remember

Mahatma Gandhi for his inspirational

leadership, courage and integrity. He

set an example for the world through

his commitment to non-violent social

activism and social justice for all.

India Republic Day is also a day

to recognise and celebrate Indias

place and role as the worlds largest

democracy. We properly recognise

the tenacity and commitment

of Indians in preserving their

democratic heritage and the human

rights it guarantees when so many

other countries around it have often

succumbed to military coups.

This year India celebrates its

Republic Day with a new Government

and hope that there will be economic

transformation to improve the life of

all its people. India has the worlds

tenth largest economy by GDP.

Early reform by Manmohan Singh

as Prime Minister of the Congress

party contributed to high growth but

in the term of the Congress Party

Government the momentum seemed

to be lost. In particular there was a

widespread recognition of the need

to nd fresh answers to problems of

poverty, corruption and economic

underperformance.

I hope that the new Government

under Narendra Modi considers

advancing negotiations on the free

trade agreement with New Zealand as

part of the reforms needed to promote

Indias economic development.

New Zealands technology and

services, particularly in the agri-

technology area can help Indias

productivity. New Zealands high

quality food products, freed from

the burden of high taxes and tariff

imposed on imported products, can

also help India meet the demand for

high protein, safe and good quality

food which, as incomes improve, is

growing.

India has the worlds largest

population which consumes dairy

products and produces much more

milk than New Zealand. But its

technology and productivity are

low. New Zealand could help India

in this area. New Zealand is the

leading expert on animal husbandry

and technology associated with

dairy herds. It could also help with

technology and services in keeping

produce fresh India suffers a huge

40% loss of fresh produce spoiling

before it gets to market.

While Indian farmers with an

average herd size of two dont

want to compete directly with New

Zealand on dairy, there is room for

NZ to aim for the top of the market

and to complement local production

in helping meet growing demand.

New Zealands Free Trade

Agreement with China has worked

to the benet of both countries.

An agreement with India would

do the same as our two countries

have complementary economies

and much in common in terms of

language, heritage and commitment

to democracy.


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NEW ZEALAND

Auckland Council serving up exciting Youth Employment Pledge partners

Three of Aucklands leadinghospitality businesses andAuckland Council itself have signed

pledges to further advance the

councils targeted effort to help the

citys 23,000 unemployed young

Aucklanders.

A pledge signing event hosted

by Mayor Len Brown saw

InterContinental Hotels Group,

SKYCITY Entertainment Group,

Hilton Auckland and Auckland

Council make a commitment to

tackle their citys youth employment

issue head-on. The signing formally

recognised and acknowledged the

employers collaborative efforts

to date to improve employment

opportunities, as well as those that

will be made in the future.

Len Brown said he was very

encouraged by Aucklands major

employers stepping up to sign up.

Pledge partners are attracted

by the opportunities the council

initiatives such as Youth Connections

provide to overcome the barriers to

youth employment and develop ways

to equip the next generation with the

right skills.

Auckland Council has 16

graduates entering the second year

of their programme with a further

41 starting next month, 22 summer

interns, 11 cadets who joined the

organisation in October last year

and a further 30 places available

this year. More Youth Employment

Pledge partners are in the pipeline

and council has set a target of 50 by

the end of June this year.

As part of the councils youth

employment work two

youth employment

summits have been

held with a third,

JobFest15, taking place

on February 21 at MIT.

JobFest15 is expected

to attract 1000 work

ready young people and

50 businesses with jobs

to offer.

MAYORALDRIVENews from the Counci l

Mayor Len Brown at the youth employment pledge signing with ATEEDsGeneral Manager Economic Growth Patrick McVeigh and Auckland Councilcadet Antonio Taulutoa.

Home growntalent headlines175th festivities

Afree, family friendly concert atBarry Curtis Park on WaitangiDay, produced by Auckland Council in

par tnersh ip with Toi o Manukau, will

mark the 175th anniversary of the signing

of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Wellington based reggae

group Tomorrow People headlines

a strong line-up that includes AnnieCrummer, Moana and the Tribe, Tama

Waipara and Whenua Patuwai. Comedian

Mike King will host the event.

Mayor Len Brown says, February

6th this year is particularly significant,

marking the 175th anniversary of the

signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The day-long free event offers

Aucklanders and their families, a

destination to gather and have fun through

sharing music, crafts, entertainment and

food.

The concert, the regions largest

Waitangi Day event, begins at 10am with

a mihi whakatau - ceremonial welcome

- and kapa haka performance fromManurewa Marae, Te Tai Tonga.

South Auckland all girl group

Soul 7, kick off the live stage show

at 11am followed by Moana and the Tribe.

New to t he e ven t th is y ear is Auckla nd

Museums popular summer childrens

progra mme, Tma ki Tal es.

Youngsters can listen to stories, design

a street flag, weave a tututuku, handle

Taonga Puoro and watch master carvers

work on a variety of commissioned

piec es.

On show also, nine replicas of the

original signing sheets of the Treaty of

Waitangi.

The day is focused on providing asafe, zero waste, alcohol and smoke-free

experience, encouraging Aucklanders to

make the most of the fantastic free local

music acts whilst learning more about

our unique history in a relaxed whnau

friendly setting.


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NEW ZEALAND

Editorial

Indian Weekender is published by Kiwi Media Group, 98 Great South Road, Auckland

Printed at Guardian Print, Ashburton

Copyright 2014. Kiwi Media Group. All Rights Reserved.

Indian Weekender Volume 6 Issue 26

Publisher:Kiwi Media Group Limited

Managing Editor:Giri Gupta | [email protected]

Editor: Maya Shivam | [email protected]

Associate Editor: Paula Ray | [email protected]

Chief Reporter: Swati Sharma | [email protected]

Reporter: Rizwan Mohammed | [email protected]

Chief Technical Ofcer: Rohan Desouza | [email protected]

Graphic and Layout Design:Yashmin Chand | designer@ indianweekender.co.nz

Advertising & Business Development Manager:

Gaurav Gupta -M: 021 292 4519 | [email protected]

Sales & Marketing Manager: Leena M: 022 0151971 | [email protected] and Admin.: Farah Khan | [email protected] expressed in the publication are not necessarily of the publisher and the publisheris not responsible for advertisers claims as appearing in the publication

- Kim Garst

StokedPronounced: Stoked

Very pleased or excited,

Usage: I was stoked to win the race!

A tribute to R K Laxman

Pick of the week

TIP from The TreNCheS

If you have ever had to give eye dropsto a small child, you know how hard it

can be. Ask your child to lay down andcloser his/her eyes. Place a small dropon the inside corner of the eye. Thedrop will slip onto the eye ball as soonas the child opens his/her eyes.

Wing Commander Pooja Thakur walked US President Barack Obama for the inspection ofthe tri-service Guard of Honour at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in New Delhi on Jan 25th. Thiscame as Nari Shakti (woman power) was the theme for the Republic Day parade this year.

If you dont value your time, neither wil l others.Stop giv ing away your t ime and talents. Value

what you know and start charging for i t.From the desk of theManaging Editor

OOn behalf of the entire team at Indian Weekender, I wish to extend my heartiest greetingsto all Indians on the occasion of the 66th Republic Day. This year the Republic Day hasbeen a milestone with many rsts.

The world seemed to have stopped to watch as India created history with the President of

United States attending the Republic Day celebration for the rst time, this also being the rst

time that the President of the United States has visited India twice during his term in ofce.

Incidentally it was also the rst time that the US President broke his security protocol and

stayed out in the open for so long, as he watched the celebrations.

The turnout at Rajpath was massive, in spite of the drizzle. The crowd cheered their beloved

leader as Modi arrived and the cheering continued as President Obama arrived in the Beast.

The celebration itself was unparalleled, with India displaying its best and its mightiest.

As contingents proceeded down Rajpath one could not help but be proud of the upward path

that India is currently on. As usual, the daredevils took everyones breath away and the y-

past by out ghter aircrafts seemed to get the attention of the crowds, in spite of the weather

conditions. The all women contingents were the star attraction and were a rst.

Indeed it was a time of great excitement as we all watched the chemistry between Modi and

Obama unfold over the three-day visit. In this issue we bring you the big and small stories of

the Republic Day celebrations and the big and small events around Obamas India visit. This

visit saw many highlights: while on the one hand there seemed almost a sense of urgency in

the US wanting to partner with India on various levels, on the other hand there were many light

and memorable moments that these three days brought. We have tried to cover a lot of these

stories and yet due to space constraints there were some that we have saved for the next issue.

So it wasnt only Indias power play that made the world stop in its tracks. It is also this

new-found friendship with the United States that the world is stopping to note. The two super

powers are indeed emerging as natural partners.

Amidst all this fanfare and excitement, the nation sadly bid farewell to the much-loved

common man. RK Laxman was a legend and we bring you a tribute to his genius, in this

issue.

We are also starting a new column, in this issue, to encourage a healthy discussion on whowe call ethnic and why. We would like to hear the thoughts of our readers. Do write back to us.

It is indeed heartening to note that Indias Republic Day was celebrated with enthusiasm

and fanfare even in New Zealand. We bring you snippets of the biggest ever celebration held

under the very dynamic and energetic Indian High Commissioner, His Excellency Mr Ravi

Thapar at Wellington. This was attended by many diplomats, community leaders and also the

High Commissioner of the United States to New Zealand.

It goes to the credit of the citizens of a Country when the whole world joins them to

celebrate their democracy. With India emerging as a new power not just in terms of being the

largest democracy in the world but also because of its growth rate and development in various

other areas under a capable and efcient leadership.

Lets take a moment to be proud of the country and dedicate ourselves to our own growth

and development. Lets do this for our own sake and for the sake of our country. I would like

to end with the words from John F. Kennedy ask not what your country can do for you, ask

what you can do for your country.

Vande Mataram! Jai Hind!

Giri Gupta


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OPINION / EDITORIAL

Is race dependent onspace? Paula Ray

Global cities around the world boast of thediverse ethnicities they support. In fact,displaying the diversity often turns into an

obscene game for going global. More on this

later; rst let us try to understand: what does the

word ethnic actually mean?

Ethnic can be understood as a sub-group

of people within a larger population who

share common cultural traditions, customs

and even descent. As such, the people of a

nation comprises of one dominant community

and several other ethnic communities.

It would not be wrong to presume that

overlapping customs and traditions of

diverse ethnic groups help the sub-groups

to coalesce and collectively they form thecomplex whole.

In this sense, several ethnic groups

make up the population of a city, say, like

Auckland which has an enviable mix of

peop le who are Chinese , Kore an, Ind ian,

Arabic, Spanish, and more.

It is the composition of these ethnic

groups that make some cities of NewZealand more diverse than the others.

While Wellington has a presumably higher

south Asian population, Auckland has more

number of east and south-east Asian people.

But as an immigrant-friendly nation, the

New Zeal and gove rnment trie s to look aft er

the needs of each and every community,

by way of cele bra ting var ious cult ura l

festivities unique to them through the year.

The Office of Ethnic Affairs, as the

government department is labelled, identifies

each matawaka or ethnic group by its

peoples cult ura l valu es, cus toms, beli efs ,

languages, traditions and characteristics

that differ from the wider society. The

celebration of these people through theircustoms and traditions has become part of

the Governments affairs.

This does not come as a surprise.

As the Office rightly says: a quarter of

New Zealanders were born overseas.

Accommodating and addressing their

diverse interests make the country one of the

most ethnically diverse nations at the OECD

(Organisation for Economic and Cooperative

Development).

In this sense, diversity adds to the

economic, social and cultural development

of the nation.

The fact that the government has

demarcated a separate office or cell for suchactivities goes to prove the proactivity of the

governing body in safeguarding the interest

of the diverse people. But then, at the same

time, does it not segregate the society by

identifying the differences of the sub-groups

within the wider population?

Being a predominantly immigrant nation,

how does New Zealand government identify

who is not an ethnic community? Yes, the

Office of Ethnic Affairs does say that the

ethnic groups are not part of the dominant

group within the nations population. But

then, the dominant British population is also

a migrant group of people whose numbers

have only multiplied over the years.Does the standing of a race depend on the

physica l sp ace they occu py? What abou t th e

native inhabitants of the land? Are they part

of the dominant group or do belong to yet

another ethnic sub-group? Lets find out in

our next round of ethnic-babble!

Obama visit paves way for new era inIndia-US ties Arun Kumar

U

S President Barack Obamas historic visit

to be the chief guest at Indias Republic

Day celebrations turned out to be much more

than symbolic as it helped cut the nuclear knot

and paved the way for a new era in India-US

relations.

US Deputy National Security Advisor

Ben Rhodes believes the signal that is being

sent from Obama and Indian Prime Minister

Narendra Modi to their respective governments

is going to catalyse a lot of activity.

It also sends a message to the world, I

think, that the US and India are going to be

closer partners going forward, he told US

reporters accompanying President Obama at a

brieng in New Delhi.

And thats entirely consistent with the

presidents focus on the Asia-Pacic region

and building closer relations with emerging

powers, particularly the worlds largest

democracy here in India, he said.

Recognising the importance of their

deepening economic and commercial ties,

India and the US also decided to expand their

annual strategic dialogue into a US-India

Strategic and Commercial Dialogue.

The last two days have demonstrated that

over the years India and the United States

have systematically forged an indispensable

partnership , as US Commerce Secretary

Penny Pritzker put it.

Pritzker, who would now jointly lead the

expanded dialogue with Secretary of State John

Kerry, said the developments were indicative

of a new day in the commercial relationshipbetween India and the United States.

The talks in New Delhi may not have led to

setting up goals for reducing carbon emissions,

but John Podesta, counsellor to the president,

was upbeat about Modis aggressive

programme to produce clean and renewable

energy.

Our ability to partner with India to

help produce 100 gigawatts of solar power

betwe en now and 2022, is part of a shif t

across the globe towards cleaner forms of

energy, he said and it is being done in

conjunction with tackling the problem of

climate change.Obama and Modi had turned a corner for

the United States and India, by resolving

issues in a long-stalled nuclear deal that for

years kept US nuclear power companies from

doing business in India, noted Alyssa Ayres,

senior fellow for India, Pakistan, and South

Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Ayres, a former US deputy assistant

secretary of state for South Asia, suggested

that the US should now aim for bigger

economic plans with India by backing Indias

membership of Asia-Pacific Economic

Cooperation body.

Obama, coming out of this symbolic andimportant visit to India, should demonstrate

that Washington will do its part for Indias

future by integrating India into economic

regimes focused on delivering growth, she

wrote in a commentary in Fortune. Influential

Politico magazine, noting that the US and

India were getting serious about nuclear

trade, wondered if it was a New era for

US-India relations.

Christian Science Monitor too saw signs

of a changing US-India relationship amid

the pomp on Delhis Rajpath noting that

a trip to New Delhi designed to mend old

differences had kicked off with a nucleardeal.

But the influential New York Times

summed it up saying Obamas acceptance

of Modis invitation this year was seen in

New Delhi as a gr eat t ribu te to Indi a, a sign

of the countrys arrival on the world stage.


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l

FIJI

NEWS inBRIEF

FNPF sells shares for a

whopping $17mThe Fiji National Provident Fund Investment Ltd sold its 51 per cent stake inPenina Ltd for $17 million to Tappoo Holdings Ltd. The chairman of FNPFmentioned that the initial investments of FNPF Investments Ltd. Of $5.6 million was

established in 2006 that comprised land and cash contributions.

The shares of Penina Ltd, the owner of the Tappoo City Complex in Suva has

shown gains of more than $11 million or in other words 1204 per cent. Penina Ltd

declared and paid the dividends to two of its shareholders of $1.9 million before the

settlement took place.

Tappoo Holdings Ltd will take over the responsibility for the $37m loan liability

that Penina Ltd has with a commercial bank, Mr Kodagoda said. The sale achieved

an amicable solution for both parties and the divestment is the best possible outcome

for the fund both commercially and in terms of long-term investment strategy.

He also mentioned that the investments in Penina Ltd were made prior to the

appointments of the present board members, and the decision to add fund ensured

that the sales provided good results.

Tappoo Group Chairman Kanti Tappoo added that acquisition and investment of

such a magnitude posed a huge challenge for the investors and they had to be looked

on a long-term basis. The proceeds from this sale are expected to be invested in

other FNPF projects that are in the pipeline. The chairman further added that they

had invested carefully in their multi-storey departmental store and food court at the

Tappoo City Complex.

Education to get a boost

The Ministry of Education of Fiji has decided to offer 100 enthusiastic couplesa salary increment to move out to the less provisional rural and maritime areaswith a goal to improve the standard of education there.

The Education Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy mentioned that he had a meeting

arranged with his staff members to search 100 willing couple explaining that have

to take the challenge to manage and fix major educational issues in the rural areas.

Ive asked for a list of 100 couples who are willing to go into rural and maritime

areas and we will talk with them first, because we want to know that they dont havea babysitting issues or parents to look after, Dr Reddy said.

And for them we will give them an increment. Well tell them well look after

you, after three years we will promote you, but go there and change these schools.

The list of willing couples is expected to be ready in a months time and the

teachers will be deployed in another two months. Mr Reddy also mentioned that the

structures in these schools in the rural areas will also need to be renovated because

the wooden structures are almost 40 years old and bear a risk to crumbling to the

ground.

He also explained that the schools in the rural and maritime areas can get potential

technological assistance via donations from business enterprises to the Education

Ministry. Weve got a donation of 5000 tablets from India and we will distribute

those to maritime and interior schools where we dont have proper facilities. He

added.

FNPF increase employerscontribution

The Fiji National Provident Fund has asked the employers to pay 10 per cent as amandatory contribution towards their employees retirement plans. The currentannouncement has been followed by governments 2015 Budget Plans, an increase of

25 per cent from the previous 8 per cent mandatory employers contributions.

This move by the government has been taken in order to boost the savings for

the members and increase their income statement at retirement. This change in

regulation is effective January 1st 2015 and all the employers need to comply as

soon as possible.

The maximum amount of contribution is 30 per cent from a compulsory member.

Therefore, 10 per cent will be paid by the employers, 8 per cent by the employees

and 12 percent of additional and/or excess contributions. The excess contributions

are paid my some employers as a part of their employees benefits paid above

mandatory employer contribution.

FNPF chief executive, Aisake Taito said allowing members to pay additionalcontributions towards their FNPF means that members can save more for retirement.

Our core area of business, again this could not be emphasised enough is to ensure

that members have a decent income to live comfortably at retirement.

The Fund therefore will continue to explore opportunities to secure the future

for our members, Mr Taito said

Indian Republic Day

celebrations in Fiji

Indian community in Fiji celebrate Indias66th Republic Day hailed by Indian HighCommissioner. At the residence of the Indian

High commissioner in Tamavua, Suva, around

100 members of the Indian community gathered

to commemorate the day.

Its a very big moment when we celebrate

Republic Day away from home and Fiji is also

home for us in other ways so we had the ag

hoisting in the morning and the amazing thing

is, this is perhaps the rst place in the world

where the Indian ag in unfold as part of the

celebration of Republic Day so Fiji is the rst

in the world to celebrate the day, mentioned

Indian High Commissioner Gitesh Sharma.

India gained its independence on August

15, 1947 however the constitution came into

existence on January 26, 1950, he added, and

that is why they had always celebrated this

day in January. So as of that day we became

masters of our own destiny. We became a truly

democratic nation and as we say we are the

worlds largest democracy, he said.

One of the things that you will nd is that

we have Indian communities all over the world,

our general message to them is to integrate and

contribute to society where ever they are.

We say that people here are connected with

India and we are happy that they are with us

and we celebrate the fact that they have been

very good Fijians citizens who also love their

own country.

This ceremony was later celebrated at the

Grand Pacic Hotel in Suva which was graced

by the presence of Prime Minister Voreqe

Bainimarama.

It is an extreme honour that Mr

Bainimarama is with us today on our Republic

Day celebration, Mr. Sharma said.

Mr Bainimarama was among Members of

Parliament, and Diplomatic Corps who were

present. The President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau

was unavailable for the ceremony since he was

out of town.


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l

NAMOSTE OBAMA

India, US achieve breakthrough in civil

n-deal implementationIndia and the US Sunday (25 Jan)announced the much-anticipatedbreakthrough agreement on

commercial implementation of their

landmark civil nuclear deal, six years

after it was signed, and also entered a

new strategic phase of co-production

of some defence projects, as Indian

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and

visiting US President Barack Obama

held talks marked by much warmth

and camaraderie.

Both Obama and Modi announced

that the breakthrough had been

arrived at in the civil nuclear deal

- which ended decades of Indias

nuclear isolation because of its refusal

to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation

Treaty (NPT) - during the joint press

interaction after a marathon over

three-hour talks at the Hyderabad

House which was referred to as Chai

Pe Charcha.

Modi said in his speech: I am

pleased that six years after we

signed our bilateral agreement, we

are moving towards commercial

cooperation, consistent with our law,

our international legal obligations,

and technical and commercial

viability.

Obama, describing it as a

breakthrough understanding, said

the two leaders agreed to advance

our civil nuclear cooperation and we

are committed to moving toward full

implementation.

It is an important step and shows

us how we can work together to

elevate our relationship.

The deal is done... We have

broken the logjam of the past few

years, said Foreign Secretary

Sujatha Singh, brieng newspersons

later.

She acknowledged that the

political leadership played key role

in pushing forward the agreement.

In the eld of defence, the two

sides renewed the 10-year Defence

Framework Agreement and the

Defence Trade and Technology

Initiative (DTTI).

The new framework is to enhance

the bilateral defence partnership

with more intensive joint military

exercises and maritime security

efforts among others.

Under the DTTI, which is for

co-production, both have agreed on

four projects, including the Raven

unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and

the roll-on, roll-off intelligence,

surveillance and reconnaissance

module for the Lockheed Martin-

manufactured C-130 J transport

aircraft, Sujatha Singh said.

Both sides are also to form a

working group to explore technology

for aircraft carriers and also share the

design of jet engine technology.

Modi, in his opening address

in English at the press interaction,

said both have decided to take our

growing defence cooperation to a

new level.

In the eld of energy, Obama

expressed interest in participating

in Indias 100 gigawatt solar energy

project.

Both sides also resumed talks on

the bilateral investment treaty and on

a totalisation agreement.Continued on Pg 20


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l

NAMOSTE OBAMA

Michelle arrives in Indo-American designers creation

US First Lady MichelleObama landed in India lastweek looking chic in an ensemble

designed by India-born BibhuMohapatra, who is based in New

York.

She had accompanied US

President Barack Obama on a

three-day state visit to India.

Michelle wore a geometric-

print black and white knee- length

dress with blue-oral motifs asshe emerged from the US Air

Force One jet with her husband.

She completed the outt with a

matching coat with the same motifs

and print and looked stunning in

the outt.

Mohapatra, who specialises

in womens luxury wear withdaywear and evening wear, shared

a photograph of the US First Lady

wearing his creation along with one

of his ramp shots.

The President and the

First Lady arrive in #india. @

michelleobama wearing @

bibhumohapat ra #spring15 poppy

print dress and coat @otusnews @

christyrillingstudio @cfda @vogue

@bergdorfs thank you #MK and @

johnnywright220 Xb, the design er

posted on Instagram.The power couple were

welcomed by Indian Prime

Minister Narendra Modi at the

VVIP terminal of the Indira Gandhi

International Airport, New Delhi.

A suit to suit his styleAclose look at Narendra Modisbandhgala suit that he wore fora joint appearance with US President

Barack Obama in New Delhi,

showed it was a customised marvel

- with the prime ministers full

name Narendra Damodardas Modi

written in pinstripes.

Modi wore the deep blue

bandhgala suit Sunday (25 Jan)

evening at Hyderabad House when he

stepped out for a Chai Pe Charcha

meet and a press conference with

Obama.

It would have passed off as a

regular ensemble that the Indian

leader aunts every now and then,

but zoomed images of the outt have

revealed another story altogether --

his name was intricately woven into

the fabric.

Fashion designers say the nesse

with which Modis name features in

the fabric requires special technique,

and that the fabric is most likely

hand-woven.

Its a very ne jacquard technique

of weaving. Its not embroidery,

and its cost would be dependent on

the bre and technique, designer

Samant Chauhan told media,

indicating that developing such a

fabric could cost anything between

Rs.80,000 up to Rs.500,000.

Designer Raakesh Agarvwal says

its daring on Modis part to wear it

for an important event.

The name was so intricately

woven that it looked like pinstripes. I

think its quite a daring choice... This

personalised textile is the in thing.

From (international brands)

Burberry to Hermes, all are doing it,

Agarvwal told media.

Another designer, Gautam Gupta

is sure that the fabric is not machine

made as the technique would not

have given it the nesse that the

material had. He also said that if the

outt was made in Italian wool, it

would be very expensive.

This is not the rst time a

leader has worn an ensemble

with his own name all over

it. Ousted Egyptian leader

Hosni Mubarak is also

said to have aunted a

similar suit back in 2011.

Since taking charge

as prime minister, Modi

has impressed the fashion

community and the common

man with his sartorial choices.

Whether it is with his well-tted

bandhgala suits, his half-sleeved

kurta and brightly coloured Nehru

jackets or his choice of an orange

shawl; Modis style statements have

always been eye-catching; so much

so that during the Obamas visit for

the countrys 66th Republic Day

celebrations, he stole the thunder

from the US First Lady as far as

fashion was concerned.

His pinstripe-with-his-name suit

has generated a lot of buzz on social

networking mediums.

Former actress Twinkle Khanna,

who calls herself @mrsfunnybones

on Twitter, posted: So wht if NaMo

wears a suit with his name on it?

Better than carrying bags with LV

LV all over (referring to fake Louis

Vuitton). Well if ur name is Lucky

Verma then maybe.

(From L- R) Michelle during her arrival to India; duringAt Home; R-Day parade at Rajpath; departure fromIndia.


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lModi, Obama unveil steps for new high tobusiness, trade tiesIndia-US business links wereset for a quantum jump withPrime Minister Narendra Modis

assurance of consistent policies

and welcoming environment

leading to US President Barack

Obama announcing steps to lead to

$4 billion trade with and investment

in India.

Over the next two years, our

Export Import Bank (EXIM)

will support $1 billion Made In

America goods exports to India.

Our Overseas Private Investment

Corporation will support lending

small and medium businesses

across India in more than $1 billion

in loans. And our US Trade and

Development Agency will invest

nearly $2 billion in renewable

energy in India, Obama said in his

address at the US-India Business

Summit in New Delhi Monday (26

Jan).

Listing out more steps, he

said the US was ready to help in

broadband connectivity and build

better roads .

We need to make sure that

economic growth in both India

and US is inclusive. Diaspora

investment initiative will aid

India, he said.

US exports to India is nearly 35

percent. Indian investments in our

country is growing as well. Those

Indian investments are supportingjobs across America . Our growing

trade relations are also a win for

India. Both Indian and US workers

are beneting from the ties,

Obama added.

Saying that there is a lot of

untapped trade potential, he

added: PM Modi agrees that there

is a lot of scope to improve the

trade relations. We have to focus

on making doing business easier in

both our countries.

In his address earlier, Modi

said the state should be driven by

policie s which should be consisten t

so as to draw more investments,while revealing US investments in

India jumped by 50 percent in the

rst six months of his government.

State should be policy-

driven. That will help investment.

Consistency is another very

important aspect that will bring

more investments in the country.

These things will address many

proble ms, he said .

He assures US business that they

will nd environment that is not

only open, but also welcoming.

It will make it easy to do

business; our immediat e target is

to bring us from the rear ranks of

the world into the top 50. You will

nd a tax regime that is pr edictable

and competitive. We have removed

some of the excesses of the past.

We will now soon address theremaining uncertainties.

Our goal is an economy where

skills, infrastructure and resources

will not be constraints to growth,

he said, adding heavy investments in

infrastructure and agriculture will

improve the economy.

Noting that in the world of

economics, numbers are often an

unforgiving mirror to performance,

Modi said: They are telling us

that we are on the right path. Our

economic growth has increased by

a percentage point.

Today, business sentiments

in India are the strongest amongmajor Asian markets. Consumer

condence in India has turned

positive afte r three yea rs.

Stressing the India-US

partnership will be vital for

prosperity at home and our

economic leadership abroad,

he held it will also help address

global challenges of our times.

Turning to President Obama,

Modi said that with his support,

quite simply, the joined hands of

India and the United States will

make this world a better place

for all. With your leadership, Mr.

President, and with the support ofour gifted people, we will turn our

commitments into concrete action.

The US-India Business

Council (USIBC) along with

Indias department of industrial

policy and promotion (DIPP) , the

Confederation of Indian Industry

(CII) and the Federation of Indian

Chambers of Commerce and

Industry (FICCI) organised the

summit.

Before this meeting, Modi,

speaking at the interactive India

US CEO Forum, highlighted

key priorities of his government

including improving Ease of

Doing Business, and the Make

in India initiative. He also added

it is extremely important to listen

to investors, as this helps speed up

decisions.

Reacting to the statements by

Modi and Obama, CII presidentAjay Shriram expressed hope that

the newly-announced US-India

Strategic and Commercial Dialogue

will convene soon to chart out

the path for enhanced bilateral

economic cooperation.

He also welcomed Modis

commitment to making the business

environment in India easier and

more predictable. In this regard,

he welcomed the new cell being

set up in the PMO to fast track US

investments in India.

It is these steps, he noted,

that will help step up the USs

engagement in the Indianeconomy.

They are telling usthat we are on the rightpath. Our economicgrowth has increasedby a percentagepoint. Today, businesssentiments in India arethe strongest amongmajor Asian markets.Consumer confidencein India has turnedpositive after threeyears

US can be Indias best partner: ObamaRecalling the historic addressof Swami Vivekananda, USPresident Barack Obama Tuesday

won over his audience by referring

to them as sisters and brothers of

India and said he rmly believes

America can be Indias best partner

and together the two nations can

bring more prosperity to their people.

In his final engagement in Ind ia,before flying to Riyadh and then

home, the US president addressed a

town hall-style meeting in Siri Fort

auditorium, where he said: India

and the US are not just natural

partners, I believe that America can

be Indias best partner, I believe

that.

Addressing an invited gathering

of young people, civil society and

diplomats, the US president reached

out to the audience with many

Hindi words like Namastey,

Dhanyavad and even some

references to Bollywood films,

which had the crowd ecstatic.

He said he was absolutelyconvinced that when both the

democracies stand together they can

produce more jobs, oppor tunities

and prosperity for their people. I

believe tha t, he said.

Recalling the historic address

of Swami Vivekananda, Obama

began his town hall meeting with

the invocation sisters and brothers

of India and talked about how

the philosopher-sage introduced

Hinduism and yoga to America in a

city that was his hometown.

He recalled Swami Vivekananda

and his famous speech in Chicago,

exactly 100 years ago, where he

addressed the gathering as sistersand brothers of America and

said he was going to address the

audience likewise.

Obama struck a personal chord

with the mainly youthful crowd,

saying he was very impressed with

Continued on Pg 23

NAMOSTE OBAMA


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l

If the grandson ofa cook can becomepresident, and the teaseller can become the

prime minister, so canyoung people from thehumblest of origins dareto dream big and realisetheir aspirations,

the daredevilry of the motorcycle

contingent riding Royal Enfield

bikes and wished he could ride a

bike t oo.

But the Secret Service does not

let me ride motor cycles, he said,

and also remarked that he cannot

dance as well as his wife Michelle.

In a speech where he touched

on the need for India and the US to

work together on climate change,

on how the US can partner India

in its growth story, in defence

cooperation and becoming partners

in the security of the Asia-Pacific

region, the American president

also stressed on the need for

the government to uphold the

freedom of religion written in the

constitution of both the countries.

He also spoke of the civil

nuclear deal that both countries

are pushing ahead with, saying

it would help bring electricity to

homes in India and more clean

energy.

He said the US wants to partner

India in its infrastructure push,

building port s, bull et trains, smar t

cities and develop technology

that we do with closest allies and

also touched on cooperation in

tackling terrorism.

In the beginning, Neha Buch,

a young representative of Indian

NGO Prabha, introduced Obama

to the audience as a m

Indian Weekender 30 January 2015

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