Modi’s Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s international travel in May, apart from participation in the G7 meeting in Japan and the Quad in Australia, includes a visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the South West Pacific. The large sprawl of the PNG territories and their geopolitical significance is often missed by Indian commentators more focussed on ASEAN, South Korea and Japan. The prime minister will participate in the discussions of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation summit. This brings the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu with India at the summit level. Despite a wide dispersal of the Indian diaspora in the region, India’s engagement has been sporadic and sometimes even adversarial. It is an interesting turn of events that former army officer Sitiveni Rabuka is back in office in Fiji after having staged coups in the 2000s that had hurt Indian interests. Modi’s meetings will look to enlarge cooperation in various areas, including help with vaccines and anti-retrovirals. India is also looking to create a deeper basis for cooperation that give a modern-day form to the cultural and historical exchanges that go back hundreds of years. This will be Modi’s first visit to the PNG islands.

Return of Covid

The current rise in Covid-19 cases has led to the return of mask mandates in some states and several public-facing businesses like banks and public offices. On the upside, the Omicron variant that caused the third wave in December 2021-January 2022 is proving remarkably stable. Its sublineages, like the one circulating now, has the same higher immune escape capability but is also less virulent than previous avatars of the virus. This has led to fewer hospitalisations and deaths, with the elderly and those with conditions like diabetes and cardiac issues more at risk. An important reason for the fresh spread is the low uptake of booster shots. The two-shot vaccination routine was highly successful as memories of the Delta wave were all too vivid in 2021. But thereafter, once the third wave subsided, a lack of interest in getting the booster doses was evident. The booster or precaution doses will not necessarily prevent infection but sharply reduce serious complications. But the large number of people who have not received the booster dose are more vulnerable to the virus and can spread it to those who have taken their third shots.

Parting Rumour

Maharashtra’s political pot is bubbling furiously. Ever since Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ‘revealed’ a few weeks ago that the failed bid to form a government in the state in 2019 with NCP leader Ajit Pawar had Maratha strongman Sharad Pawar’s blessings, the story has gained renewed currency. Ajit ‘Dada’ Pawar and Sharad Pawar have dismissed speculation that the former is set to cross over to BJP with 40-odd legislators. Ajit Pawar’s Twitter handle, contrary to rumours, continues to state that he is an NCP leader. Yet, there is an air of uncertainty about his plans even as the NCP-Shiv Sena (Uddhav)-Congress combine held a rally in Nagpur to stress their unity and opposition to the BJP-Shiv Sena (led by Eknath Shinde) government. It might be premature to predict just how things would pan out but it does seem that something could give soon. Much will depend on the results of the Karnataka election.

Himalayan Bond

Manaskhand: Inevitability of Integrity for Internalizing Civilizational and Cultural Connectivity between Nepal and Bharat is quite a mouthful for a conference that was held in Nepal this week. The initiative is part of attempts by organisations in India and Nepal to emphasise commonalities and build on cultural bridges between the two countries. The conference had specific initiatives to encourage commerce and religious tourism between the two nations. India is hoping to use the relative calm in India-Nepal ties to get past fractious politics on issues like Lipulekh which became a sore point during former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s tenure. The current arrangement between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” and Oli has run into trouble and the latter finds himself somewhat disadvantaged after having outsmarted Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba after the 2022 national election. The soft touch in India-Nepal relations continues even as the game of musical chairs in the Himalayan republic may well carry on. The thinking in India is that solid economic benefits will bind the two nations and make them less vulnerable to political one upsmanship. Among those to address the conference was BJP foreign affairs department in-charge Vijay Chauthaiwale.

For a Song and Cricket

Despite his political engagements, North East Delhi MP Manoj Tiwari has not lost touch with his life as a popular Bhojpuri actor and singer. This week, he released a T-Series single ‘Tanha hun main’ which features another well-known Bhojpuri actor, Askhara Singh, and introduces child singer Krishna Mittal. The promotions for the song were all over social media and the launch was a well-attended affair. Tiwari, who is an in-demand campaigner for BJP in several states, has been crossing swords with AAP on several issues like the liquor scam. But he also maintains a wide range of interactions with cultural and sporting organisations. A cricket enthusiast and no mean player himself, the MP often turns up for club matches on weekends. This helps him connect with a youthful following which serves a useful purpose when elections are at hand.

The Italian Test

Several top-notch Indian rheumatologists invited to attend the European Congress of Rheumatology being held this year from May 31 to June 3 in Milan are crestfallen over the denial of visas. The global conference is organised by Zurich-based European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR). The Italian embassy in Delhi didn’t respond to queries. Some of the doctors who spoke to Open contended they were “forced to run around” by the embassy for their visa with a raft of instructions. The first was that the letter of invitation from EULAR must be in Italian, not in any other language. They had received a letter in English. After they met that demand, they were asked to furnish certain financial statements which were not requested earlier. Finally, one of the doctors said he was refused a business visa citing insufficient funds. He found it shocking because he is a frequent flyer to European countries and his accounts do not lack money. Now, insisting on a letter of invitation in Italian can prove counterproductive. “If India retaliates with similar instructions on language and insists on invitations in a language of the place of destination, visitors will not find it easy,” a Lucknow-based rheumatologist says, half in jest.

The Last Word

Rebellions of two prominent BJP leaders in Karnataka have led to commentary about the damage this will do the party. The denial of tickets to former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi and former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, however, are clear indications that veteran BS Yediyurappa is calling the shots. BJP clearly believes that localised damage apart, there will be no backlash due to the departure of the Lingayat leaders with BSY batting for the party.

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