Indian Hand

True to his recent form, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ticked off Western nations for comments on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction in a defamation case and disqualification as an MP. Although he did not name any country, Germany’s comment that it expects “standards of judicial independence” would apply was perhaps on his mind. The Western habit of meddling in others’ affairs he referred to is fed by inputs and interactions organised by local embassies. The German embassy in New Delhi often arranges ‘interactions’ between Indian experts and visiting parliamentarians as well as other dignitaries. One such meeting was held during Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit to New Delhi, too. The selection of Indians who meet the German worthies speaks for itself as it includes commentators and experts ideologically opposed to the Modi government. Their views and insights on Indian affairs are entirely predictable since many of them have not seen anything good happen since BJP came to power in May 2014. These impressions reinforce the thinking of some diplomatic staff posted in India who form their opinions based on interactions with a small circle of Delhi-based political savants. It is hardly a surprise that most Western embassies failed to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi winning the 2014 election and, even more damningly, felt BJP would fall short of a majority in 2019.

EC Tales

After his account of being the Supreme Court-appointed administrator of cricket in India was read with interest, former Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) Vinod Rai has edited a new volume on civil service reform. Among the essays, one by former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N Gopalaswami on the evolution of the Election Commission of India (EC) is very relevant in the light of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling making the Chief Justice of India (CJI) a member of the selection committee for election commissioners. On the alleged lack of independence of CECs, a reason for the selection committee being instituted, Gopalaswami notes that though chosen by the government of the day, they are independent constitutional authorities appointed by the president whom they also report to. He points out that the Constitution gives EC specific and wide-ranging powers to organise and supervise elections and successive CECs have upheld the institution’s mandate. Interestingly, Gopalaswami had recommended that his successor not be named CEC on grounds of the commissioner’s alleged partisanship and proximity to Congress which was then in office. People in the know recall the concerned commissioner would take “loo breaks” to get on the phone to possibly consult the powers-that-be and on occasion his conversations were even overheard by his colleagues.

Homi Bhabha’s Due

A long-awaited definitive biography of pioneering Indian physicist and key promoter of India’s nuclear power programme, Homi J Bhabha, will be out soon. The voluminous book fills a major gap on the life and times of the pioneering nuclear guru who shepherded India’s fledging nuclear sector against stiff odds. The series Rocket Boys has sought to capture the careers of leading nuclear scientists but has drawn mixed reviews with some commentators feeling that the dramatisation made the leading character appear absurd. The forthcoming book is a detailed and researched account by Bakhtiar Dadabhoy, a member of the Railway Board, who has written books on Zubin Mehta and JRD Tata.

Modi’s Core Agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is sharpening his attack on the opposition ahead of crucial state elections, beginning with Karnataka which goes to polls on May 10. After hitting out at opponents that he said had given a “supari (contract)” to certain forces (a reference to the recent BBC documentary on the Gujarat riots and other such reports) to malign him, Modi followed up with more trenchant remarks while speaking at CBI’s diamond jubilee celebrations where he said there is no slackness in the political will to fight corruption. In an obvious reference to several opposition parties that claim to be targeted by investigative agencies, he told CBI officers that they have no reason to feel hesitant about probing corruption cases. “I know those you are investigating are very powerful people. They have been part of the government system for years,” he said. As he has before, he took on what he often describes as the “ecosystem”, or the supporting base of commentators and ideological opponents of BJP, for aiding those accused of corruption. “They do their best to try and malign the agency itself… But you have to focus on your work. No corrupt person should escape,” he said. Modi has in the past referred to the “ecosystem” as the “Khan Market gang”. The big difference between him and previous BJP leaders is that he has no desire to gain the acceptance of the Lutyens’ crowd that feels the loss of pelf and perch keenly.

Pawar’s Savarkar Googly

The battle of words over Hindutva icon Vinayak ‘Veer’ Savarkar continues to rage. But the surprising entrant into the debate is NCP chief Sharad Pawar who weighed in by praising Savarkar for his progressive social views. Most times, Pawar might have let the discussion pass since the subject has a polarising undertone and NCP does look for Muslim support. The Maratha strongman’s remarks seem to indicate that he feels that the public is aggrieved by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s repeated disparaging references to Savarkar that reflect a point of view propagated by left-leaning scholars and commentators. All of this should be more than sufficient to convince the Congress leader to keep his own counsel on Savarkar in future.

TDP Eyeing BJP Alliance?

After conducting a politburo meeting in Hyderabad for the first time in eight years, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) seems upbeat about making a comeback in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Both states are headed to polls within the next year. In Telangana, TDP is expected to contest at least 20 Assembly seats—in Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, and Nizamabad. In Andhra, it may yet again align with old alliance partner BJP to give the ruling YSR Congress (YSRCP) a tough fight. In fact, an understanding in Telangana where BJP fancies its chances cannot be ruled out as the saffron camp seeks a tipping point in its vote share. After its rout in the 2019 Assembly polls in Andhra, TDP seems to be regaining some ground if its recent MLC seat win is any indication. TDP’s lone candidate Panchumarthi Anuradha was elected to the Legislative Council by 23 votes. It was an MLA quota poll and TDP, with all of 23 MLAs as against YSRCP’s 151, still managed to win. This happened despite the fact that a few TDP MLAs have all but joined YSRCP. Having inspired ruling-party MLAs to cross vote in favour of its candidate, TDP is understandably excited, especially since the success follows the party bagging three graduate constituency MLC seats.

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