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08 OPINION THE TRIBUNE

CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 30 APRIL 2019

China’s course correction

THE TRIBUNE established in 1881
Tweaking BRI policy to allay fears of reluctant countries
share risks as well as the gains.
Another major development in the
BRI has been the evolution of the

Farmers at receiving end ‘third party’ cooperation model aimed

at promoting shared development and
spreading China’s risks. The origin of
Don’t let corporates dictate terms this model lies in the political decision

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of Japan to cooperate with BRI in prac-
HE Gujarat Government has thrown its weight behind the pota- MANOJ JOSHI
tice, if not in name. As part of this, the
to farmers who have been sued by PepsiCo for allegedly growing DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, OBSERVER two countries agreed in 2018 to jointly
the FC5 variety without authorisation. The multinational giant RESEARCH FOUNDATION
execute 50 infrastructural projects
claims to have obtained the rights for this variety in 2016 under the across Asia. This would combine Chi-

T
Protection of Plant Variety and Farmers Right Act, 2001. However, the HE Chinese Belt and Road na’s financial support and production
farmers are quoting the same legislation in their defence, saying that Initiative (BRI) was capacity, with Japan’s rich overseas
it allows them ‘to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share or sell his announced by President Xi experience, advanced technology and
farm produce, including seed of a variety protected under this Act’. Jinping at a function in risk management mechanisms. The
Amid the Lok Sabha elections, the issue has acquired political Kazakhstan in 2013. It began as a Chi- UK has also expressed interest in get-
overtones after senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel accused the nese national project, funded with HALF-TRUTH: The notion that BRI encourages ‘debt traps’ is somewhat over-the-top. ting involved in such projects. Both
BJP dispensation in Gujarat of turning a blind eye to the farmers’ Chinese money to serve Chinese London and Tokyo figure that BRI is
plight. Subsequently, Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel announced national goals. Six years down the China is making its policy more open and market-friendly, going to be around for a while and to
line, it is mutating and imposing a oppose it is to deny their own compa-
that the state government would intervene in the legal battle. The
company says it was compelled to take legal recourse to safeguard
Chinese-designed layer on to the but a great deal depends on the sincerity with which it nies the opportunity for profit. In the
the interests of thousands of farmers associated with its collabora-
existing pattern of globalisation.
It has taken aboard criticism that its
can implement the changes it has spoken about. coming period, as the Chinese make
their policy more open and market-
tive potato farming programme. However, the alleged use of pres- projects were creating debt traps to friendly, other private players are also
sure tactics to make more of them join this venture is uncalled-for. make countries vulnerable to Chinese likely to jump in.
The food and beverage behemoth has offered to settle the dispute if geopolitical designs. Last week the imports of goods from developed of finance professionals at the second Chinese-led globalisation is a fact
the farmers toe the line. They can give an undertaking to purchase the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for and developing countries. BRF, Yi Gang, China’s Central Bank of life. BRI has already created facts
specific seed variety from the company and later sell the produce to it. International Cooperation was held in It must be noted, to start with, that Governor, acknowledged the need for on ground—rail lines, highways,
Such restrictions will make things tougher for potato growers, who are Beijing, providing us an outpouring of the criticism of BRI has been some- China to address the issue of the coun- ports and pipelines—which cannot
grappling with fluctuating crop prices, inconsistent quality and the speeches, opinion pieces and research. what over-the-top. Take for example tries to service their borrowings at the be denied, leave alone reversed.
vagaries of weather. The terms and conditions of the contracts signed It was as much a stock-taking exercise the notion of that it encourages ‘debt time they were given the loans. At the Now, facing economic and political
between the two parties should be economically reasonable as well as as the platform to announce the new traps’. For India this has been a major same meeting, Li Kun, finance minis- headwinds from the US and Europe,
mutually acceptable. Offering unfair advantage to one party defeats the directions to what is now a set Chinese issue because of the manner in which ter of China, said his country would China is readjusting its policy. A
policy that will impact the world in the the Sri Lankan port of Hambantota develop a ‘debt sustainability analysis great deal depends on the sincerity
purpose of these agreements. The government should step in at the right
coming decades. slid into the hands of a Chinese compa- framework’ which will use World Bank with which it can implement the
time so that the corporates don’t ride roughshod over the beleaguered
These new directions have been ny under a 99-year lease. In an article in and IMF methodology as well to changes it has spoken about.
farming community. There is also a need to revisit the Act in question, shaped by the criticism of the BRI in the New York Times last week, Debo- ensure that risks from debts did not go Notwithstanding everything, BRI
which provides for the ‘establishment of an effective system for the pro- India and other western countries, as rah Brautigam of Johns Hopkins Uni- out of control. Both these measures remains a Chinese-led project aimed
tection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers and plant breeders and to well as the issues raised in the ongoing versity noted that specialists studying have won praise from Christine at securing Chinese goals. They are
encourage the development of new varieties of plants’. There should be trade and technology war, where the the subject have found ‘scant evi- Lagarde, IMF Managing Director, who not in it for altruistic purposes, but to
no room for ambiguity or confusion regarding provisions of the law. US has charged Beijing with denying dence’ that Chinese banks were lend- was present at the meeting. enhance their own economic and
western companies market access, ing to projects that had little prospect of The new financing criteria are also political standing in the world. That is
subsidising the activities of its state- profit for the sake of gaining strategic designed to attract foreign invest- what all countries would do if they
owned enterprises abroad, compelling advantage for China. Looking at the ment partners in the BRI financing. were in China’s position.

A go at their dignity companies to make forced technology

transfers and using opaque policies in
issuing tenders and so on.
data of two major US institutions
studying the subject, she concluded
that ‘the risks of BRI are often over-
Western firms have always sensed the
opportunities that the BRI would
present. Their problem was that they
But where BRI v1.0 provided a
vision of a stark approach aimed at
maximising China’s advantage, v 2.0
Demeaning strip-search of students unacceptable In his speech inaugurating the BRI stated or mischaracterised’. In both were more or less frozen out of the indicates that Beijing has understood
Forum, President Xi signalled that Latin America and Africa, fears that action by the Chinese who tilted the that it cannot be a zero-sum game and

E
DUCATIONALinstitutions are witnessing incidents of toying with China was willing to adjust its poli- China ‘was deliberately preying on playing field against them. However, that if it wants its boat to rise in the
the dignity of girl students with startling frequency, calling for a cies and shape a BRI which would countries in need are unfounded’. and this is to the credit of President harbour, it has to ensure that the oth-
closer examination on how these institutions are being run. In the emphasise international collabora- Even so, Beijing has moved to Trump, those walls are now crum- er boats, too, do the same.
latest, the hostel warden of a private university in Bathinda stripped tion, transparency, high-quality address these issues relating to the bling and the Chinese are under-
female students to check who had dumped a soiled sanitary pad in the products, procedures and processes, $440 billion worth of loans it has so far standing that it may actually be The writer was recently in
washroom. Consequently, hundreds of students staged a protest against enhance market access, and promote provided for BRI projects. At a meeting advantageous for them to have others Beijing to attend forum meetings
what they believe was unacceptable conduct by hostel wardens. And
rightly so. In a similar incident in November 2018, teachers at a
girls’school in Fazilka district had demanded students of a senior class

When it was the voice you fell for

to strip their juniors to find out who was responsible for the improper dis-
posal of a pad in the school toilet. The Punjab CM ordered an inquiry,
leading to action against the guilty. In March 2017, 70-odd girls of a res-
idential school in Muzaffarnagar, UP, were stripped for the same reason.
The university, in a rather cavalier manner, dismissed the incident as MR Anand interfered with your occupations to the cute Philips transistor. Whenev- radio jockeys, announcers and
a ‘small mistake’, but was forced to terminate the services of four employ- and duties. You did not have to be er I happen to pass by the famous artists had fans among handsome

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ees. The aberration, which has caught the fancy of some persons in author- HE other day, when I was tied to it. You could those days listen Panagal Park at T Nagar Chennai, my men and vice versa.
ity, needs to be condemned with the necessary strength and severity. recalling the good old days and to it while attending to your work. mind goes back to those evenings I There was a Sunday programme
Instead of belittling students, a weekly class on personal hygiene and pub- things from my boyhood, my Can anyone do the same with TV? spent there with my grandfather, who for children called ‘Pappa Malar’,
lic sanitation would be a more productive and civilised way to inculcate in thought went back to our first radio, a When you watch TV you can watch sat on a cement bench listening to the conducted by Radio Anna, a very
them a sense of responsibility. All institutions should provide an effective three-banded affair. The day my only TV. But radio demands only news from Delhi through the park’s sweet-voiced gentleman. There
disposal, cleaning and clearing system. There is no reason why the logic father bought it was a day of great joy your ears. Housewives of yesteryear amplified radio. was not a child in Madras in the six-
of things will not appeal to the young minds. Castigation is a limp effort for us. I was a fan of Radio Ceylon used to cook, wash dishes and Radio gave relaxation and eased ties who had not loved him for his
which broadcasted programmes clothes and attend to children, lis- the nerves. Unlike TV, which earned voice and not his looks. As a source
that makes light of one’s own responsibility as an education provider and
based on cinema, travel and educa- tening to radio broadcasts. Mechan- the nickname of idiot box, radio had of knowledge and information radio
facilitator. Wider diffusion of awareness is the only way to fix it.
tion. Radio served as a medium of ics repaired cycles, bikes and cars, certain honour and respectability. is superior to visual medium. What
Being impressionable, students may carry with them the scars of such entertainment without vulgarity. No listening to songs from their radios. Parents could trust radios with their we hear is absorbed faster. That was
degrading action through their lives. There are other more sensitive one could accuse it of spoiling young- Barbers were cutting hair, lending children. It did not require a child- the reason during ancient Vedic days
means of disciplining students. Heaping upon them a stinging sense of sters, as we blame now the visual their ears to radio music. lock. It gave importance and drew education was imparted orally. What
shame is not one, for it is corrosive. Such horrors point at the disquieting medium of television for the distrac- How can we, belonging to that gold- our attention to the voices which are we hear stays longer with us than
rational vacuity and an education net fashioned by apathy, which may tion and degradation of youth. Radio en period forget those summer nights subtler than appearances. People what we see. Excessive watching of
have a damaging catalytic effect on the tender psyche of young girls. programmes were above board and fit we spent on open terraces of our used to fall for voices rather than for TV may affect our eyes but no
for universal hearing. houses lying on our back on a grass- looks. Incidents were many, where amount of listening to radio will
It is also a fact that radio never mat, eyes blissfully closed, listening not-so-beautiful women among harm our ears.

❝ ❞
thought for the day letters to the editor
The very substance of the ambitious is merely the
Setting an example of a commodity. Even well-educat- justice, but with no immediate bai? Even the late Vinod Khanna,
shadow of a dream. — William Shakespeare Apropos ‘Denied justice, farm ed and employed women are not prospect. Like it is said, ‘You have despite being elected thrice,
widows to contest polls’(April spared from this evil. Daughters the law for now, justice you will get remained a stranger to Gur-
28), the initiative of these women should not be called ‘paraya dhan’. in your next life if there is one.’ daspur. ‘Bharat’ Manoj Kumar
to highlight the issue of farm dis- Only social awakening can check HN RAMAKRISHNA, BENGALURU could not influence genuine
on this day...100 years ago tress by contesting elections is this monster. Bharat. Screen ‘Shotgun’ mis-
commendable. They have lost TARSEM S BUMRAH, BATALA fired on the actual political plat-
their bread-earners, and instead Truth about defaulters form. Amitabh Bachchan boasted
of twiddling their thumbs, they Apropos the editorial ‘Skeletons on the screen, ‘Rishtey mein toh
have decided to show courage to For cause of justice in the closet’ (April 29), the RBI, hum tumhare baap lagtey hain’,
do something for the cause Refer to ‘Long delays ail justice being the regulator of banking but could not prove himself even
lahore,wednesday,april 30, 1919
which took their everything. In delivery’ (April 28); in the govern- activities, has no legal duty to pro- ‘beta’ in real politics. The tenure
today’s time when most people ment’s budget, an inadequate per- tect the interests of wilful default- of a parliamentary seat is wider
Karachi Sedition Case. are focused in fulfilling their centage is given to the Law Min- ers or their reputation misquoting and more meaningful than a film
THE case in which Mr. Durga Das B. Advani, proprietor, Shri Krishna vested interests, these women istry. India has one of the world’s all the provisions of law, which script, which actors tear up after
Press, Karachi and a municipal councillor, is charged with having have tried to set an example by lowest ratios of judges to popula- cannot be invoked. Its failure to collecting money.
printed in his press, and Mr. H.D. Mariwala with being the author and dedicating their lives to the wel- tion. A huge backlog of 3.3-crore disclose to citizens who the MPS CHADHA, MOHALI
publisher of an alleged seditions pamphlet called “New Call”, came fare of society at large. cases are pending in India’s defaulters are and what action is
up before Mr. Martin, I.C.S., District Magistrate of Karachi, when KETKI SINGH, CHANDIGARH courts. It is larger than the popula- being taken to recover the huge
after the deposition of the District Superintendent of Police non- tion of some nations. It is perplex- loans advanced is tantamount to Combating falsehood
bailable warrants were issued against the accused and an ing why the government is not negating the RTI and disrespect- In reference to ‘Strict laws need-
adjournment of six days was granted on the ground that the police Women have it tough speeding up the appointment of ing the will of Parliament and the ed to counter falsehoods’ (April
investigation into the case was not complete. Accused No. 1 Mr. Apropos the middle ‘Granny’s judges to fill vacancies. If the Supreme Court. 29)’; how is social media dissemi-
Advani surrendered himself in court and his counsel, Mr. Wadhumal, male- child fixation’ (April 29), one authorities cannot fill them, they SS PAUL, NADIA nating artificial and doctored
applied for bail, which was not granted. of the reasons why people don’t can extend the term of retirement incidents with the cleverest trim-
want to beget daughters is the spec- for judges, as is the norm in pro- mers? With the rapidly increasing
Irrigation in the Punjab. tre of dowry that haunts them. To gressive democracies. Earlier Long-distance politics android phones, all stay engaged
THE Irrigation Branch of the Public Works Department, Punjab, is find a suitable groom becomes a there was a proposal by the gov- Reference to ‘Deol to file papers, to learn and forward factoids or
preparing three projects of the greatest magnitude, each of which is likely headache. Dowry was banned in ernment to appoint retired HC fly to Mumbai for vote’ (April 29); fake information to the next
to cost about 1,000 lakhs of rupees and yield a net financial return of from 1961, but still it continues to be judges with impeccable record to will ‘reel’ heroes like Sunny Deol groups or individuals without
6 to 8 per cent. per annum on capital expenditure. These projects are the highly institutionalised. The abuse speed up the disposal of pending be effective on the ‘real’ canvas? analysing. Any piece of fake or
Thal Canal off-takings from the Indus at Kalabagh to irrigate 5 million of this social custom has eroded the cases. This is a logical proposal. It His predecessors were not. He wrong information broadcast by
acres of wilderness lying between the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab rivers; original meaningful function, has been the practice with senior flew to Mumbai immediately any means should attract rigor-
the Dhanra reservoir dam to the built across the Sutlej at its debouchure where dowry was considered a safe- bureaucrats. Many litigants are after filing his election papers. If ous punishment. The IT Act must
from the Himalayas in order to store up 1,10,000 million cubic feet of ty net for women. But it has poor and spend a lifetime with elected, will he work as MP be amended.
water for purposes of irrigation during the winter; and the Sutlej valley reduced the status of women to that their meagre resources seeking through the Internet from Mum- DILWAR ALI MEERAK, TOHANA
project of a canal off-taking from the Sutlej near Ferozepore for irrigation
chiefly of the territories of Bikaner and Bahawalpur. Letters to the Editor, typed in double space, should not exceed the 200-word limit. These should be cogently written and can be sent by e-mail to: [email protected]

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THE TRIBUNE
CHANDIGARH | TUESDAY | 30 APRIL 2019 OPED 09

Decoding Priyanka’s Varanasi no-show

ed the trial balloon, anticipating that offering sops. But the conversation
Modi would opt for a second seat. The was reportedly in a matter-of-fact
Prime Minister remained sure-footed, way without any inducement or bar-
forcing the Congress to eat crow. gaining avenue.
Though the young AICC general sec- As per one estimate, there are over
retary has tried to put an end to the two dozen requests for television
controversy, claiming that it was a col- interviews, but Priyanka is sitting on
lective decision not to contest from all of them. Her party managers and
RASHEED KIDWAI
Varanasi, a question mark over the media consultants want her to start
SENIOR JOURNALIST & AUTHOR Grand Old Party’s strategy will stay giving interviews to various TV news
for a long time. Somewhere, Rahul- channels, but Priyanka reportedly

D
EBUTANTE Priyanka Priyanka’s inexperience and their does not want to overshadow her
Gandhi Vadra seems to have reliance upon apolitical spin doctors brother as someone who is more
perfected the art of making will come under scrutiny once the media-savvy and articulate. AICC
simple things look complex. 2019 elections conclude. media department chief Randeep
The row over her reported move to The Congress’ strategy for Uttar Singh Surjewala is thus reduced to
contest from Varanasi is refusing to Pradesh has been problematic and giving one-liners such as “They (Modi
settle down. The BJP has earmarked it contradictory. Its inability to join an and BJP) have television and we (Con-
as a Congress folly of sorts. anti-BJP mahagathbandhan is under- gress) have vision.”
Led by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minis- standable, but the lack of tacit under- In case the 2019 verdict throws up a
ter Yogi Adityanath, the BJP is try- standing with the Samajwadi Party fractured mandate, the Congress
ing to project the no-show as a sure and Bahujan Samaj Party has been needs to put in place its managers and
sign of Priyanka running away glaring. Perhaps the answer lies in interlocutors instead of indulging in
scared, while showcasing Prime Min- Sonia Gandhi’s absence from the idle talk. Barely after the completion
ister Narendra Modi as invincible. alliance talks with Mulayam Singh KEY STATE: The Congress’ strategy for Uttar Pradesh has been problematic and contradictory. of four phases of polling, some Con-
The Congress and the Gandhis have Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and gress leaders in ‘Lutyens’ Delhi’
themselves to blame. If Priyanka was Choudhury Ajit Singh. Sonia had set also reportedly helped Mayawati and Unnao, the AICC general secretary were heard contemplating if the party
indeed interested in contesting from up a seven-member panel (Ahmed
If Priyanka was indeed Akhilesh come together and rope in was confronted with a crowd that would get Finance and External
Uttar Pradesh, she should have opted Patel as convener) in July 2017 to hold interested in contesting Ajit Singh. In many western Uttar chanted ‘Modi Modi’ consistently. Affairs portfolios in exchange for sup-
for Amethi in the first place instead of talks with like-minded parties. How- Pradesh constituencies, the Dalit- Priyanka quickly took off her floral porting a non-NDA, non-Congress
waiting for Rahul Gandhi to win from ever, when Rahul Gandhi formally from UP, she should have Muslim combination seems to be mala (garland) and threw it sporting- PM. Even wishful thinking should
both Amethi and Wayanad, vacate took over as the party chief in Decem- working; in eastern UP, Brahmin lead- ly at them. The gesture led to a have feasible limits.
Amethi and then contest the byelec- ber 2017, the panel became defunct.
opted for Amethi in the first ers have shown interest in Priyanka, momentary suspension of hostility. The Congress would face a litmus
tion. Rahul’s presence in Wayanad In Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka’s pres- place. Rahul’s presence in making Mayawati sit up. The Con- However, as a leader and campaigner, test if it fails to dislodge Modi as
and Priyanka versus Smriti Irani in ence is proving to be a threat of sorts gress is missing someone like Ahmed Priyanka is not speaking enough to Prime Minister. There will be an exo-
Amethi would have made the Con- as three major social groups — Mus- Wayanad and Priyanka Patel, who could have worked behind convert her charisma into votes. dus and murmurs against Rahul
gress story look better. lims, Dalits and Brahmins — have the scenes to allay apprehensions and Priyanka’s handling of an in- Gandhi. Depending upon the number
A closer scrutiny shows that ‘field started looking at the Congress with
versus Smriti Irani in Amethi bridge the trust deficit. house crisis has been unconvention- of seats that the Congress will be able
Priyanka from Varanasi’ was never a renewed interest. Muslims have been would have made the The Congress’ shortcomings and al. When AICC spokesperson Priyan- to win, some party leaders can even go
reality. Unlike the buzz about Rahul most vocal and desperate. Groups of lack of organisational base are, howev- ka Chaturvedi was leaving the party, to the extent of seeking a leadership
Gandhi contesting from Wayanad, influential Muslims reportedly told Congress story look better. er, carefully covered up by Priyanka. an eight-minute conversation is said change. Such a scenario would pose a
Priyanka’s Varanasi story did not have UPCC chief Raj Babbar to move away The campaigner in Priyanka has to have taken place between her and real challenge to Priyanka and 10 Jan-
requisite in-house resolutions and calls from Moradabad. It saw the actor- shown a remarkable eye for detail and Priyanka. There was speculation in path. No member of the Nehru-Gand-
from district and state units of the Con- politician changing his constituency an ability to connect with the masses. party circles that Priyanka would be hi family has failed or opted out of
gress. Her apolitical spin doctors float- to Fatehpur Sikri. Muslim pressure During her roadshows in Kanpur and able to persuade Chaturvedi by active politics in his or her prime.

The crowd-puller who pulls no punches

A
disturbing reality of the Modi factoids, videos, newspaper clippings ■ Thackeray clearly targets only Modi
era is that the media, Opposi- and other documents on giant video and Shah (not BJP), who are not trust-
tion parties, institutions and screens, to expose what he calls the worthy and, hence, dangerous for
citizens seem to have forgot- lies and chicanery of the PM and the India. His message is unambiguous —
ten the art of holding an elected govern- BJP president over the past five years. don’t vote for the duo.
ment and party accountable for its During a rally, Raj Thackeray played a ■ Thackeray does no waffling or pussy-
many failures. A combination of factors clip of the PM claiming that his gov- footing and doesn’t shy away from
SALIL DESAI is responsible for this. Firstly, the most ernment had built 8.5 lakh toilets in a harsh, direct, unapologetic criticism,
charitable description of much of the week. Turning to the crowd, he then made in his trademark style that carries
NOVELIST AND FILMMAKER
media today, especially TV news chan- tore into the claim by pointing out in complete conviction with his audience.
nels, is that it is ‘pliable’. It is often said his earthy brand of sarcasm that this ■ The facts, figures, videos, newspaper
that during the Emergency, the main- would have meant building seven toi- clippings that he shows at his rallies
stream press crawled, when it was lets every five seconds, which was provide authenticity and substance to
While Raj Thackeray’s merely asked to bend. Today, it has
gone one step further. Asked to crawl,
impossible. Similarly, he showed a
video of the PM’s hometown of Vad-
his trenchant oratory and raise his
speeches above mere bombast. He’s got
politics is questionable, he the media has largely chosen not just to nagar, in which several residents com- the mix of logic and rhetoric just right.
grovel but also to fawn over the PM. plained of lack of basic facilities; he ■ Ironically, it is Thackeray’s persona
has certainly demonstrated The Opposition is thoroughly dis- went on to ask the crowd how they as a right-winger, whose politics is
that credible criticism can credited, with the only national party,
the Congress, lagging in cadre, leader-
could trust a man who hadn’t done
anything for his hometown. Else-
not very different from that of the
BJP’s ally, Shiv Sena, that provides
penetrate Modi’s popularity ship, public perception and signifi- TIRADE: The stunning impact of Raj Thackeray’s aggressively articulate campaign where, he produced on stage a family, his critique of Modi-Shah immense
cantly lacking an effective communi- against PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah has taken everybody by surprise. whose photos had been used without credibility. It is also this image that
if presented smartly before cator who has the charisma, oratory or their consent in one of BJP’s poverty enables him to raise suspicion about
the electorate. The facts, the ability to expose the perfidies,
jumlas and under-achievements of
resonate with no one, making them
sound like pretentious gasbags.
his anti-migrant, pro-Marathi, pro-
Hindu, chauvinist stance since he
alleviation advertisements.
He has also convincingly lampooned
Pulwama and Balakot incidents and
ask questions which Opposition par-
figures, videos and the Modi government. This neutralising of the media, Oppo- founded the party in 2006, after break- Modi and Shah on demonetisation, ties simply cannot risk, without
Independent constitutional institu- sition, institutions and individuals, ing away from the Shiv Sena. black money, unemployment, Aadhaar, being dubbed anti-national.
newspaper clippings he tions such as the EC, RBI, CBI, CAG together with the 24x7 hype and image- Yet, he has managed to launch one data fudges, laying bare the contradic- ■ His status as a vocal Modi supporter

shows at his rallies provide and the higher judiciary, too, haven’t building around the PM, has enabled of the fiercest and credible-sounding tions in their claims and statements by in 2014, now turned critic, also gives
covered themselves with glory. Most the government to escape hard scruti- attacks on the many failures and juxtaposing them with actual facts, fig- heft to his words. It also enables him
authenticity and substance have shown themselves incapable of ny, getting away with fudged data, fan- deceptions of the Modi-Shah com- ures and visuals unearthed by his to position himself as a conscientious
real courage of conviction when dire- tastically tall claims, fake promises and bine this election season. Raj Thack- research team. His punchline, ‘Lav re objector with no skin-in-the-game,
to his trenchant oratory and ly needed and have generally pre- utter falsehoods. eray’s speeches, laced with barbs tar- to video’ (play that video), has been because his party is not contesting the
raise his speeches above ferred to play safe, except for a gentle And that is precisely why the stun- geting the BJP’s big two, have trending and at his rallies it sends the polls. He dismisses allegations of
rap on the government occasionally, to ning impact of Raj Thackeray’s received an unexpectedly enthusias- crowds into raptures of anticipation of being a Congress-NCP stooge but
mere bombast. salve their consciences. aggressively articulate campaign tic response from the crowds that watching another fictitious claim by admits he doesn’t mind if his rallies
Individual citizens or civil society against PM Modi and BJP chief Amit gathered to hear him during his 10 Modi busted through Raj Thacker- benefit them.
have been systematically intimidated Shah has taken everybody by surprise. rallies in Maharashtra — in Mumbai, ay’s instant reality check. So, why is While Raj Thackeray’s politics is
and hounded as liberals, anti-nation- The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena Nashik, Panvel and other places. the Raj Thackeray template of criti- questionable, he’s certainly demon-
als, sickulars, urban Naxals and so on (MNS) chief has never been accused of The most novel part of his campaign cism working, where everyone else strated that credible criticism can
and have only made matters worse by being a liberal. If anything, he fits per- is that he has intelligently deployed has failed? The answer might lie in penetrate Modi’s popularity if pre-
using tired, clichéd arguments that fectly into the right-wing camp with the stinging template of displaying the following reasons: sented smartly before the electorate.

quick crossword su do ku calendar forecast

ACROSS APRIL 30, 2019, TUESDAY SUNSET: TUESDAY 19:00 HRS
1 An evergreen tree (7)
4 No longer in fashion (5) 1 6 ■ Vikrami Samvat 2076
SUNRISE: WEDNESDAY 05:39 HRS

7 Askew (4) ■ Shaka Samvat 1941

8 Commonly supposed (8)
10 Fair and honest 5 3 6 1 ■ Vaisakh Shaka

■ Vaisakh Parvishte
10
17
Sunny Partly Cloudy Cloudy
CITY MAX
Rainy
MIN
Foggy

transaction (6,4) ■ Hijari 1440 Chandigarh 40 21

12 Cunning (6)
13 Stare threateningly (6)
7 8 3 4 ■ Krishan Paksh Tithi 11, up to 12:18 pm
New Delhi
PUNJAB
43 22

15 Significant (10) ■ Ender Yoga up to 5:09 am

Amritsar 39 19
18 Offer of marriage (8)
19 Glance over quickly (4)
7 9 2 6 ■ Shatbhisha Nakshatra up to 8:15 am

■ Moon enters Pisces sign 4:15 am

Bathinda
Jalandhar
42
39
23
19
20 Cause to look small (5) Ludhiana 41 22
21 Thoroughly (7)
6 5 1 8 YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION
HARYANA
Bhiwani 42 22
DOWN 2 8 6 9 5 4 1 7 3 Hisar 42 21
1 Stupid (5)
2 Country of west Europe (8)
5 8 3 2 7 9 5 1 2 3 4 6 8 Sirsa
HIMACHAL PRADESH
42 21

3 Solidly built (6) 3 4 1 8 6 7 9 5 2 Dharamsala 25 18

4 Achieve no result (4,1,5)
5 Journey (4)
3 9 8 1 4 7 2 6 3 9 8 1 5 Manali
Shimla
21
23
09
17
6 An idealist (7) 9 1 3 2 8 5 7 4 6 JAMMU & KASHMIR
9 Damaged beyond repair (7-
3)
8 2 4 6 5 6 8 7 4 1 3 2 9
Jammu
Leh
37
15
22
06
YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION 11 Duplicitous (3-5) 1 3 7 5 9 2 6 8 4 Srinagar 18 12
Across: 1 Straitlaced, 9 Lincoln, 10 Brine, 11 Cure, 12 Bottle up, 14 Misery, 16 Cotton, 18
Reassure, 19 Wary, 22 Elgar, 23 Vertigo, 24 Free and easy.
12 Cut very short (7)
14 Inequitable (6)
4 9 8 5 9 4 7 6 2 3 1
UTTARAKHAND
Dehradun 38 19
Down: 2 Tenor, 3 Ahoy, 4 Tinpot, 5 Ambition, 6 Evident, 7 Black market, 8 Keep an eye 16 Tall and thin (5)
6 2 4 3 1 8 5 9 7 Mussoorie 27 17
on, 13 Preserve, 15 Swagger, 17 Proven, 20 Alias, 21 Urge. 17 A jot (4) EASY TEMPERATURE IN OC

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