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Fortnightly Magazine

CONTENTS

Editor

Prabhat Jha, MP

Executive Editor

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3 Kamal Sandesh February 16-29, 2016

Organisational ActivitiesBJP rally in Kottayam, Kerala .................................................... 6BJP rally in Howrah (WB)........................................................... 7BJP declares Sarbananda Sonowal as CM............................... 8Tamilisai Soundararajan will continue as.................................. 8

Government's AchievementsPM dedicates Paradip Refinery to the nation.......................... 9PM dedicates NISER, Bhubaneswar.......................................... 10Mobile phone manufacturing base reaches 100...................... 11India delivers the first batch of Metro Coaches..................... 11

VaicharikiPolitics in India

-By Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya............................................. 12

ShradhanjaliWe accept the challenge............................................................. 14

ArticleSmart City Challenge.................................................................... 14

-By M Venkaiah Naidu...................................................... 27

OthersBJP Meeting at Aluva, Kerala.................................................... 15PM's rally in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu......................................... 16French President's India visit..................................................... 17Prime Minister's Assam Pravas.................................................. 19PM dedicates Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer in Assam.... 20PM address to ET Globle Business Meet................................ 22Golden words from Aadhyatama................................................ 30

Courtesy : The Hindu


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In this world for him no purpose is gained by discharge of actions neither is any sinincurred by non-discharge of actionsand among all living being never needs to dependupon anyone —(Bhagavadgita : Ch.-III, 18)

TWEETS

"Centra l Government In i t iat ivesincluding MUDRA and Start-up India,were a imed at creat ing f reshopportunities for the youth."

-Narendra Modi

Maha Shivratri: March 7, 2016Mahashivratri is an auspicious and important

festival of the Hindus. The Mahashivratri festival isalso popularly known as 'Shivratri' or 'Great Nightof Lord Shiva', is observed every year in the KrishnaPaksha of Maagh according to the Hindu calendarand largely celebrated in India, Nepal, Mauritiusand other countries.

Devotees on Mahashivratri throng to temples,holy shrines, 12 Jyotirlingas like Somnath in Gujarat,Mallikarjuna at Srisailam in Andra Pradesh,Mahakaleswar at Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh,Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath inHimalayas, Bhimashankar in Maharashtra, Viswanathat Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Triambakeshwar in Maharashtra, Vaidyanath Jyotirlinga atDeogarh in Jharkhand , Nagnath at Aundha Nagnath in Maharashtra, Rameshwar atRameswaram in Tamil Nadu and Grishneshwar at Ellora near Aurangabad, Maharashtra etc.and Shakti Peethas to offer prayers and please the Lord of destruction Shiva.

According to Hindu tradition, Mahashivratri is Lord Shiva's favourite day. Devotees onthis day remain on fast or perform hour long spiritual meditation by following rituals tocommemorate Mahashivratri and be blessed with grace. In the early morning, they visittemples to offer cold water,milk and Bela leaves on the Lingam, a symbol for the worshipof Lord Shiva. Holy mantras are also recited and special puja ceremonies are held throughoutthe night to celebrate Shivratri.

Women observe fast and offer prayers both to Lord Shiva and Parvati to shower theirgrace with a peaceful and blissful married life. Numerous interesting and intriguing religiousstories are believed pertaining to the celebration to Mahashivratri.

In a version, devotees believe that Shivratri is auspicious because it marks the marriageceremony of Lord Shiva and Parvati. However, many believe that Mahashivratri signifies theauspicious night when Lord Shiva performed the dance 'Tandava' that led to the creation,conservation and devastation of the universe. It is believed that the people who fast on thisnight and offer prayers to Lord Shiva bring good luck into their life. „

"The Communist movement has beenfinished world-wide & the Congresshas been finished country-wide…Now, both parties can`t dobetter for Kerala."

-Amit Shah~~~☯☯☯

~~~

Kamal Sandesh February 16-29, 2016 5

Edito

rial..

.Congress rule in different states has today become synonymous with corruption

and misrule. It's a reality which no one can deny. The recent case of solar scam inKerala proves this fact again. The Congress has gained expertise in proving this

fact again and again. Whether ruling at centre or in states, Congress and Corruption aremoving hand in hand. They have become synonymous to each other. Kerala and HimachalPradesh where Congress is in rule, there are serious corruption charges against its CMsOomen Chandy and Veerbhadra Singh. In Assam the Congress has lost people's supportand looking for alliance partners to somehow win assembly elections. In fact it has failedto bring any substantial relief to people in the states ruled by it and instead its leaders werefound involved in corruption every now and then. It is very unfortunate to see that Con-gress leadership has failed to take any corrective measures even in the face of repeatedelectoral defeats and as a result we find it getting reduced in different regions with everypassing day. It has failed to give corruption free good governance in states like Karnataka,Kerala, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and other states where it is in power today.People feel completely cheated and let down in these states.

The Congress led UPA government which was at centre was neck deep in scams,scandals and cases of corruption. Every now and then a new scam used to come to thefore. Every new scam used to beat the earlier one in term of magnitude and involvementof Congressmen in the scam. Coalgate, Adarsh Society scam, 2G spectrum scam weresome of the huge scams in which Congress involvement can be understood beyond anydoubt. Not only this, the current case of National Herald itself shows how deep corrup-tion is rooted in the entire Congress establishment. Corruption has taken under its gripthe Congress from top to bottom. It shows the entire mindset of the party which hasembraced corruption as its culture. Wherever Congress comes in power corruptionbecomes a rule and entire system becomes victim of this distortion. It has also created akind of political culture which has become very regressive for the entire country withmany other parties following the footsteps of Congress and blocking any revival of thefortunes of the country. It has perpetuated anti-development mindset and tried to legiti-mize the open loot of public money in the name of democracy. Congress has beenpunished by the people for its culture of corruption and mindset of looting the publicmoney.

BJP has emerged as a hope for the people. Not only Congress but other political partieslike TMC in West Bengal have also failed the people. People are now not looking at thecommunists even as an option as they have already been dumped in the history. In Biharpeople are facing the return of 'Jungle Raj' under Lalu-Nitish rule. The status of SP andBSP in Uttar Pradesh is not hidden from the people. Today only BJP is the party which hasan army of dedicated activists who work ideologically and are committed to principledpolitics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has revived the confidence of the nation and creat-ing a framework of governance which is set to usher in an era of good governance andfast pace of development. BJP has become the largest party of the world under the leader-ship of Amit Shah. He is working to create a model political party dedicated in the serviceof Maa Bharati. It's time for every BJP activists to prepare themselves to take largerresponsibilities to serve the people and make India a great nation yet again. Everyone wantsto make 21st century, India's century!

BJP is the only hope for the nation!


BJP President Shri AmitShah also addressed apublic meeting at Nehru

Stadium in Kottayam on 04February, 2016 as part of stateparty president KummanamRajasekharan’s ongoingKerala ‘liberation’ yatra.

At the meeting, he saidpeople of Kerala desperatelydesire for a ‘parivarthan’(change) in the stateadministration. Only the BJPwould ensure development ofKerala and the people wouldopt for a change in the nextassembly elections.

Virtually launching thecampaign for the upcomingAssembly polls in the state,the BJP national president alsourged the people to elect aBJP-led government in thestate. “People in the state aregoing to decide who will leadand which party would rulethe state for the next fiveyears in the state in a coupleof months. Since the previousUDF and LDF governmentshave done nothing for thestate, people wish for a changein administration here. It isinevitable that a BJP-ledadministration needs to be inplace to trigger developmentin the state,” he said.

Stating that Kerala hasbecome a state of violenceunder the Left regime andcorruption under UDF rule,he said the BJP would ensure

justice to all.Shri Shah also stressed the

need for BJP to put in extraeffort to woo all sections,including minorities, into itsfold to ensure victory in theupcoming polls.

Accusing both LDF and

UDF for playing votebnkpolitics in the state, BJPNational President said theparty would end appeasementand ensure justice to all, if itcomes to power. “WhileCongress has become asynonym of corruption, theLeft in the State has gone faraway from the basic principlesof communism,” he said.

Urging people to getready to take crucial decisions,he said the BJP needed thesupport of people in the stateto resolve some existing crisislike the one in the rubbersector.

He also listed the welfareprojects initiated by the Modigovernment including Mudrabanking, accident claim, cropinsurance project, Skill India,start-up India and Stand-upIndia initiatives.

BJP state president Shri

Kummanam Rajasekharan saidKerala politics was now atcrossroads. “People are fedup with the LDF and UDF.They have realised that onlyBJP can take them forward.They aspire for a clean andclear administration, whichonly BJP can give,” he said.

Union Ministers Shri J PNadda, Shri PrakashJavadekar, Shri Piyush Goyal,Shri Pon Radhakrishnan,party’s Kerala President ShriKummanam and BJP TamilNadu President Smt. TamilisaiSoundararajan were amongthose attended the meeting.

BJP rally in Kottayam, Kerala

People of Kerala want change: Amit Shah

Organisational Activity


Addressing a grand rally on 25 January,2016 in Howrah, West Bengal, BJPNational President Shri Amit Shah

targeted the Mamata Banerjee government,for massive scams and said only chit fundindustry is flourishing in the state and that itwas turning into a safe haven for anti-nationalelements and fake currency racket TMC rule.

He said, “The 17lakh people who havebeen duped by Saradhaand Rose valley chitfunds want to knowwhat happened to themoney that wassiphoned off. In Bengalall industries are closedand only one industryis flourishing — that ischit fund,” Shri Shah said apparently soundingthe bugle for the Assembly election barely afew months away.

“The people may know her as CM, but thechit fund owners know her as a great painter,whose paintings were bought for crores by them.

Shri Shah said, “The people are not foolsdidi, they know very well that chit funds arerunning in connivance with TMC”.

Attacking TMC, the BJP president said,“Its vote-bank politics has turned Bengal intoa hub for anti national elements. Regular bombblasts proved how anti-national elements andfake currency rackets have turned it into asafe haven. Infiltration is encouraged for thesake of vote bank politics.”

He too attacked the TMC government onthe issue of violence in Malda and alleged, “Itwas mishandled by the TMC government.”

“The entire country is worried aboutMalda violence but the Chief Minister is sayingit is a result of scuffle between BSF and locals.

It is not true. The morale of police has beenbrought down. The police station was attackedand police vehicles were burnt.

“I want to ask are you Chief Minister ofthe entire state or only for those goons?” ShriShah asked.Netaji’s grandnephew joins BJP

On the occasion Shri Chandra Kumar Bose,grandnephew of NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose,joined the BJP, just twodays after 100 secretfiles which couldthrow some light onthe mystery overNetaji’s death, weremade public by PrimeMinister NarendraModi on his 119th birth

anniversary.He had attended the ceremony in Delhi,

where 100 files on Netaji were declassified bythe BJP led NDA government on January 23and had said, “We welcome this step by thePrime Minister wholeheartedly. This is a dayof transparency in India.”

At the Delhi event last Saturday, Shri Bosehad said, “We feel that certain very importantfiles were destroyed during the Congressregime in order to hide the truth. We havedocumentary evidence to understand this. So,we feel the Indian government should takesteps to ensure the release of files lying inRussia, Germany, UK and USA.”

Among others senior BJP leaders whoattended the rally include BJP National GeneralSecretary Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya, BJPNational Secretary Shri Rahul Sinha, StatePresident Shri Dilip Ghosh, state Co-ConvenersShri Sidharth Nath Singh and Shri Suresh Pujariand Union Minister Shri Babul Supriyo.

BJP rally in Howrah (WB)

Only chit fund industry is flourishingin West Bengal : Amit Shah



BJP declares Sarbananda Sonowal as CM nomineefor Assam election

The BJP Parliamentary Board, which met on 28 January, 2016 after Shri Amit Shah was re-elected the party's National President for a full three-year term, took the decision toproject Shri Sarbananda Sonowal as the party's CM face in Assam. The announcement

was made at the meeting in New Delhi where Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and BJPNational President Shri AmitShah were present.

"The people of Assam knowShri Sarbananda Sonowal as anational hero. The parliamentaryboard has decided that theparty will fight the Assam pollsunder his leadership," UnionMinister and ParliamentaryBoard Member Shri J P Naddatold reporters after an hour-longmeeting of the BJP's top panel.He said the announcement ofthe Chief Ministerial candidateis significant as it is going to further boost the morale of party workers in the state.

The BJP Parliamentary Board also felicitated Shri Amit Shah who was elected unopposedfor a fresh term as the party National President on January 24.

"We will work with a spirit of camaraderie by taking everyone in the party into confidenceso that we can form a strong and transparent government," Shri Sonowal told to the mediapersons in New Delhi.


Tamilisai Soundararajan will continue as Tamilnadu State PresidentNational President Shri Amit Shah on February 6 announced that Smt. Tamilisai Soundararajan

at present BJP State President of Tamilnadu would continue as State president.A workaholic and a vocal campaigner during the recent Lok

Sabha polls, Ms. Tamilisai will also be the first-ever woman tosteer the BJP leadership in the State. She takes over the reignsat a crucial juncture when the party is aiming for a largerpresence in the State ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections.

“Our party president Shri Amit Shah has already announcedthat the focus would be on developing the BJP outside the Hindiheartland. This automatically makes Tamil Nadu crucial,” shetold Media persons. Her nomination brings to end the prolonged wait on who would takeover the responsibility from Pon. Radhakrishnan, who had to give up his party post after hebecame a Union Minister in May.

The 53-year-old Ms. Tamilisai, a doctor by profession, rose through the ranks after startingoff as a local medical wing secretary of the party. Despite the BJP’s ups & downs. Ms. Tamilisaistood her ground as a staunch party worker.


The Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modidedicated the state of

the art Paradip Refinery inOdisha, to the nation on 07February, 2016.

Addressing the largegathering on the occasion, thePrime Minister said heappreciated the participationof a such a large number ofpeople in an officialprogramme related todevelopment. Rememberingformer Chief Minister ofOdisha Shri Biju Patnaik, thePrime Minister said Paradipwill now become “VikasDweep” – the island ofdevelopment for the peopleof Odisha. He said youthwould benefit fromemployment opportunities,and poor women across thecountry who depended onfirewood for fuel, would getaccess to LPG.

Shri Narendra Modi saidGovernment initiatives suchas Mudra and Start Up Indiaare benefitting the youth ofIndia.

The Prime Minister,visited the Main ControlRoom and the Indmax Unitbuilt with indigenoustechnology, before arriving atthe inauguration venue.Taking a dig at the Congressfor the delay in theimplementation of projects,Shri Narendra Modi said he

Paradip will now become ‘Vikas Dweep’ forOdisha: Narendra Modi

is trying to bring a change insuch a work culture. “We aretrying to bring a work culturewhere projects are conceivedin time and completed ontime. The initiatives have tobe futuristic and completedbefore the designated timeperiod,” he said.

The Prime Minister saidthat generations pass before

a project is grounded after itis conceived. Tendering,agitations and unnecessaryprocesses delay projects andplans as this affects people,he said and added that thisresults in cost overrun andloss to the exchequer.

'Modi-Modi' chantreverberated the meetingplace when the Prime Ministerstarted to address hugegathering.

Now the oil refinery willusher in development of theentire area, he said and addedthat it will be the gateway ofenergy for Eastern India. Poorwomen across the countrywho depend on firewood forfuel will have access to LPGbecause of the refinery, hesaid and added that it willcreate one lakh employment

opportunities.Shri Modi said he was

happy to dedicate the refineryto the nation for which AtalBihari Vajpayee laid thefoundation stone in 2000.Giving another example howprojects and other initiativeswere implemented during theprevious regimes, the PrimeMinister said around 26 lakhcooking gas connections weregiven in Odisha during the

PM dedicates Paradip Refinery to the nationGovernment's Achievements


last 60 years after independence. During the one yearperiod of PNG minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan 11lakh connections have been given, he said and addedthat this is the way work should be done.

The oil refinery will bring down the country’sdependence on import of oil, Shri Modi said and addedthat he has asked oil marketing companies to reduce oilimport dependence by 2022, the year when India willcompete 75 years of Independence, with increase in useof bio fuels like ethanol produced from sugarcane anddiesel from Jatropha. The refinery will manufacture 78crore kg of LPG, 500 crore litres of petrol, 660 crore litreof diesel, 250 crore litre of kerosene and ATF, 27 lakhquintal of sulphur and 120 lakh qunital of petroleum

coke.Stating that the government is promoting skill development, providing finances to youth

under the MUDRA scheme and giving incentives under ‘Start Up India, Stand Up India’initiatives, the Prime Minister said instead of job seekers, the government wants the youthsto be job creators.

Prior to the inauguration the PM Shri Narendra Modi also visited Jagannath Temple in Puriand took the blessings of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Goddesses Subhadra in themorning.

Among others Odisha CM Shri Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Shri Jual Oram andDharmendra Pradhan were present on the occasion.

PM dedicates NISER, Bhubaneswar to the nationThe Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated the National Institute of Science Educationand Research to the nation on 7 February, 2016 in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said innovation is the need of the hour forevery society and every era. In this context,he mentioned India's space programme,which had begun from scratch, and the wholeworld was now taking note of. He called uponyoung scientists to be similarly inspired toachieve and to serve the people through theirwork. He said it is important to develop ascientific temper among students.

The Prime Minister hoped that an envi-ronment of innovation would be fosteredamong scientific institutions. In the contextof NISER, situated in Odisha, he mentionedthe possibilities for innovation in areas such as coal gasification and clean energy, the blueeconomy, and housing for all by 2022.

The Prime Minister urged the students of NISER to work towards making NISER India'sgreenest campus, and a zero-emission, zero-discharge campus which uses only renewableenergy.

Government's Achievements


Under 'Make In India' Mobile phoneproduction in India has reached 100million with leading companies setting

up their manufacturing base in the country.Addressing the Global Business Summit in

New Delhi Telecommunication Minister ShriRavi Shankar Prasad revealed the fact that inDecember, Rs 1.14 lakh crore investment hascome in electronic manufacturing in India.Under 'Make In India' the country haveattracted around 15 new mobile plants.

"Earlier in 2014, 68 million (mobile phones)were being manufactured and now 100 millionare being manufactured," Shri Prasad said atGlobal Business Summit in New Delhi.

Smartphone sales in India also reached 100million by the end of December, 2015, headded.

"All the major companies in the worldnamely Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Nidec, Samsung,Bosch, Jabil, Flextronics, Continental are inIndia besides all the top Indian companies whoare already here," Shri Prasad said.

Mobile phone production in the country hasincreased by 95 per cent in the ongoingfinancial year as compared to the previousfiscal.

Government has made sincere efforts toboost mobile phone production in the country.The new investment has created 30,000 newjobs in the country and state governments haveshown keen interest in attracting theseinvestments.

Shri Prasad said penetration of Internet isrising rapidly and increased by 100 million ina year to 400 million, including through mobilephones.

"With God's blessing, I am confident thatat this growth rate we will cross 500 million,"he added.

The minister reiterated his support forexperimentation of new technologies in the

Make In India

country, including that of Project Loon byGoogle and White space spectrum use forbroadband by Microsoft.

"Once the pilot becomes successful, then

depending on security concerns, final call willbe taken," Shri Prasad said.

"We have scaled up optical fibre layingwork by 500 times (compared to work doneunder previous government)," Shri Prasadsaid.(With inputs from Agency)

India attracted 1.14 lakh crore investment intelecom sector under 'Make In India'

Mobile phone manufacturing base reaches 100 million units

Under 'Make In India' Indian manufacturingsector has created a history after Mumbaishipped the sixmetro coaches thatwas built inBaroda. This is thefirst time Indiaexported metrocoaches for theA u s t r a l i a ngovernment. Thecoaches measured 75 feet length and weighted46 tonne each. Over the next two and half years450 Made in India metro coaches will beexported to Australia. This is marked as thefirst export India is doing after the launch ofMake in India.

India delivers the first batch ofMetro Coaches to Australia

Government's Achievements


Indian politics cannot bethought apart from theculture and philosophy of

life of this country. Indianculture is integrationist. Inspite of accepting thesuperficial differences in thevarious parts of the world andin various aspects of life itseeks their internal unity andsynthesizes them. Bothsocialism and democracy arethe results of class struggle.Although the objective ofboth is to end this struggleand establish unity the waythey have adopted for thispurpose has only changed theform of these classes, notended them, and hence thisstruggle has become moreacute. Democracy held thatthe struggle between the Kingand the Subjects is eternal andtherefore it put an end to theKing. But a struggle betweenthe different classes of thepeople has been permanentlyaccepted by democracy.Socialism made the strugglebetween the haves and thehave-nots its basis. The classeschanged but the struggle didnot end, because all systemsof thought of the West springfrom Darwin’s theory ofsurvival of the fittest. Theworld goes on not because ofstrife but because of synthesisand cooperation. The worldis created and continues notbecause of the conflictbetween ‘Purush’ and

POLITICS IN INDIABy Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya

‘Prakriti’ but because of theirinter-dependence. Hence allactions should be discussedand analysed not on the basisof class struggle and classantagonism but on the basisof interdependence,complementariness andmutual cooperation.People Make Parties

If you are a democrat donot be dictated by anybodybut your conscience. Politicalparties that stand for thepeople also stand on thestrength of the people. If thepeople want that nobodyshould bend them the peopleshould lend them theirstrength. It is the people who

are the architects of politicalparties, and through them oftheir political destiny.A Good Party

Which is a good party?Evidently the one that is notsimply a collection ofindividuals but is a bodycorporate with a distinctivepurposeful existence differentfrom its desire to capturepower. Political power shouldbe a means rather than an endto the members of such aparty. There should bedevotion to a cause in the rankand file of the party. Devotionleads to dedication anddiscipline. Discipline does notmean simply outward

VAICHARIKI


conformity to certain do’s anddont’s. The more you imposediscipline from above the lessis the internal strength of theparty. Discipline is to a partywhat Dharma is to a society.Philosophy for PoliticalParties

Let the different politicalparties try to evolve aphilosophy for themselves.Let them not be mereconglomerations of personsjoined together for someselfish ends. It should besomething different from acommercial undertaking or ajoint stock company. It is alsonecessary that the philosophyof the party is not keptconfined to the pages of theparty manifesto. Membersshould understand It anddevote themselves totranslating it into action.The Question of Discipline

The question of disciplinein the rank of a party isimportant not only to keepthe party in perfect health butalso because of its bearing onthe conduct of the people ingeneral. A government isprimarily an instrument ofconservation and protectionand not of destruction, orchange. To inculcate areverence for law in thepeople demands that theparties who aspire to beguardians of law shouldthemselves set an example inthis direction. The essence ofdemocracy is a spirit of, andcapacity for, self-governance.If the parties cannot governthemselves how can they hopeto create in the community a

desire for self-governance?While on the one hand it isessential for the communityto guarantee and protectindividual freedom it isdesirable on the other hand,for the individual to willinglysubmit to the general will. Thegreater this submission theless will be the coercivepower of the State. In a partywhose affairs are regulatednot by any state law but bythe decisions voluntarilyaccepted by the party units,one can set an example of howbest individual freedom andsocial responsibility can bebalanced. It is, therefore,necessary for the parties toprescribe a code of conductfor their members and tostrictly follow it.Duty of Electorate

A bad candidate cannotclaim a premium just becausethe party he belongs to isgood. An evil is an evil and,like the proverbial ill-wind,

cannot blow good to anyoneanywhere. The party HighCommand in giving a ticketto such a man might haveacted on a partisan basis or,with the best of intentions, itmight have committed anerror of judgment. It is theduty of a responsibleelectorate to rectify such amistake.Vote is a mandate

People should also realisethat a vote is not aninstrument of expressinggratefulness to any candidatebut a mandate to carry outtheir wishes.Minority Phobia

Frank Anthony maintainsthat English should find aplace in the Constitutionbecause it is the language of aminority i.e. the Anglo-Indians. If Shri Anthony feelsas a national he should ceaseto think in terms of minoritiesand majorities. After all, thisdichotomy has a restrictedpurpose in parliamentarydemocracy. We cannot extendIt to plague our entirenational life. If we do so therewill be a number of minoritiesas we go on changing ourbasis of classification, with theresult that everybody willbelong to some minority orother. here can be religiousminorities, linguisticminorities, politicalminorities, racial minorities,occupational minorities andso on.

(Excerpts from the book -“Pandit Deendayal UpadhyayaA Profile” edited by Sudhakar

Raje.)

A government isprimarily an instrument

of conservation andprotection and not of

destruction, or change.To inculcate a

reverence for law in thepeople demands that

the parties who aspireto be guardians of lawshould themselves set

an example in thisdirection.


Come, let the drops of Panditji’s blood serveus as marks of sandal-paste on our foreheadsand inspire us to march firmly towards our

goal. Let us bear a spark from his pyre in our heartsand exert ourselves to our utmost. Let us make outof the bones of this Dadhichi our thunderbolts toattack the vritrasuras of our times and to protectthis holy land from all dangers.

The Nanda-deep has been put out. Now weshall have to burn our lives bright to fight the forcesof darkness.

The moon has been eclipsed. Now we have toseek our way in whatever light the twinkling starsshed.

We have lest our friend, companion, leader andguide. He will remain enshrined in our hearts as weadvance, which we must, towards our goal.

Panditji’s was a dedicated life. Every momentof his life, as every atom of his body, was anoffering at the feet of the nation, which was hisGod.

The whole country was his home and thewhole people his family. Only one dream filled hiseyes, only one vow permeated his life.

Politics for him was a means, not the end, away, not the goal. He wanted to spiritualize politics.He derived inspiration from India’s glorious pastbecause he wanted to build a glorious future.Though his ideas received their vital nourishmentfrom the age-old and inexhaustible springs of ournational culture, he was far from being atraditionalist. He wanted to lay the foundation ofa glorious future by making India a prosperous,modern nation.

He was a great thinker. He never allowed histhinking to fall into a ready-made rut. He has taughtus to be proud of the past but at the same timeready to accept the challenges of the future. WhatJana Sangh is today is all his creation.

No office could ever tempt him. Though neveran M.P. himself, he was a maker of M.Ps. He neversought any honour or position, and it was with

We accept the challengeBy Atal Bihari Vajpayee

great difficulty that he was persuaded to be thepresident. He gave us the call of awakening, saying“Let us move beyond the Vindhyas till we reachKanyakumari, where the sea washes eternally thefeet of Mother India, and awaken the people withthe mantrap of unity. It was under his leadershipthat we pledged ourselves to carry the message ofunity throughout the length and breadth of thecountry.

We attended the successful session of the partyunder his presidentship at Calicut, which broughthome to the people the historic mission of the Janasangh. It gave people new hope and new confidence.People inside as well as outside India were impressed,and said there is a transformation in the party. Butthey were wrong. The transformation had not comeover Jana Sangh, it had come over their own eyes.Some of these eyes were eyes full of sin; of jealousy,of angry violence. They could not tolerate thisglory of our success, and so Panditji was takenaway from us.

Nobody exactly knows the circumstances ofhis death. The man at whose call hundreds ofthousands would have readily suffered death wascut away from life in the darkness of the night, wastaken away from his followers, was separated fromhis countrymen and thrown into the jaws of death,into the void of the unknown. This fact we shallnever forget, this wound will ever remain unhealedin our hearts, this barb will ever rankle in ourminds.

Panditji has fulfilled the vow of his life by hismartyrdom. His work was the mission of his lifeand he lived and gave his life for it. But his dreamstill remains unfulfilled, his work remains stillincomplete.

The attack on his life is an attack on the life ofthe nation. Each wound on his body is a blowstruck at democracy. We accept this challenge ofthe enemies of the nation and of democracy.

(From Funeral oration on February 18,1968 at Prayag)

SHRADHANJALI


Addressing BJP’sKerala corecommittee meeting

on 4 February, 2016 at Aluva,National President Shri AmitShah said the Vimochana Yatraled by state BJP President ShriKummanam Rajasekharan hadreceived a positive responsefrom the people and last yearthe party got massive supportin civic body elections.

He said the currentpolitical climate in Kerala isvery conducive for BJP tocome to power. BJP NationalPresident also urged partyKaryakartas to make specialefforts to woo varioussections, includingminorities, to ensure itsvictory in the comingassembly elections.

Shri Shah wanted thecadres to make maximumuse of the situation andreach out to all sections inthe state, including theminority communities. “Nowwe have to generateconfidence among the peoplethat the party will wipeoutCongress and Left and, cometo power in Karela,” he said,while calling for an actionplan at the ward level togalvanize the party.

On the occasion ShriRajasekharan, said the partywould soon constitute a 15-member election committee tofinalise the candidate list.

Several prominentpersonalities will be in the list,he said.

Stating that BJP’s doorswere open and it was readyfor alliance with like-mindedparties, Shri Rajasekharan saidthe party, however, had notstarted the process ofdiscussion in this regard withanyone so far. But, he said,they will hold talks soon withvarious parties, includingBDJS (Bharat Dharma Jana

Sena), formed recently by theSree Narayana DharmaParipalana Yogam (SNDP) ledby Vellapally Natesan. Theimmediate task before theparty is to ready theorganizational machinery toface the polls, he said.

Hitting out at rulingCongress-led UDF andCPI(M)-headed LDFopposition, whose successivegovernments had ruledalternately and allegedlyruined the state, Shri

Rajasekharan said, “So, we areconfident that we will getpeople’s vote. The effort is togarner the support of newvoters.”

He said the party had a15 per cent vote sharepresently and it needed toincrease that and added theBJP was contesting the pollsthis time to win and rule. BJPis making all out efforts tobreak the bipolar politics ofUDF and LDF, he added.

The party had received ashot in the arm in the civic pollsheld in November last year asit increased its vote base andmade inroads in several areas.

Besides the StatePresidents of Kerala andTamilnadu, Union Ministers– Shri Prakash Javadaker, in-charge of party affairs inTamil Nadu, Shri J P Nadda,in-charge of Kerala, and ShriPon Radhakrishnan — wereamong those who attendedthe meetings.

BJP Meeting at Aluva, Kerala

Current political climate in Kerala is conducivefor BJP to come to power : Amit Shah

Shri Shah wanted the cadres to make maximumuse of the situation and reach out to all sections inthe state, including the minority communities. “Nowwe have to generate confidence among the peoplethat the party will wipeout Congress and Left and,come to power in Karela,” he said, while calling foran action plan at the ward level to galvanize theparty.


Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi onFebruary 2 addressed a public meetingin Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Speaking at

the event, the PM said that a new ray of hopehas emerged in the country and an atmosphereof trust has been created in the country. This,he said, was incontrast to thesituation thatprevailed two yearsback. "Wheneversomeone watchedTV two years back,there was news ofscams, corruptionand frauds", the PMadded.

Taking a jibe atthe Congress party,Shri Narendra Modimentioned that theyhad always playedpolitics in the nameof poor but werenow unable to acceptthat a person fromthe backwardsections of societybecame the PM. ShriModi held themresponsible for not letting the Parliamentfunction properly as a result of which crucialbills concerning the poor were pending in theRajya Sabha. He further added, "Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar was forgotten by them. When wemade his ideals popular and worked formarginalised they got worried."

To move ahead, PM said that India neededEkta, Shanti and Sadbhavana that would takethe country to newer heights of progress. ThePM spoke about several Government schemesthat were transforming lives of people at the

grassroots. He talked about the special packagegiven for sugarcane farmers through their JanDhan accounts. He also highlighted the UnionGovernment's decision of MSP on pulses. Hesaid that this step gave the farmers the muchneeded strength in just sixteen months what

they did not get in years.Shri Narendra Modi said that India's

real strength was in the personal sector andto boost that the Government had launchedthe MUDRA Yojana. He said that the NDAGovernment had recently unveiled theStart-up India movement to power thedreams of millions of youngsters in thecountry. The PM stated that with theprogramme, the Government aimed toreduce ' job seekers ' and promote ' jobcreators' in the country.

An atmosphere of trust has beencreated in the country: PM

Shri Narendra Modi said that India's real strength was inthe personal sector and to boost that the Government hadlaunched the MUDRA Yojana. He said that the NDA Govern-ment had recently unveiled the Start-up India movement topower the dreams of millions of youngsters in the country.

PM's rally in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu


French President FrancoisHollande came to Indiafor attending Republic

day Celebration as chiefguest. The French Presidentarrived on January 24 inChandigarh, where PrimeMinister Shri Narendra Modijoined him and laudedFrance's decision to invest $1billion every year in India invarious sectors. Chandigarhwas designed in the 1950s bySwiss-French architect LeCorbusier and is one of threeplaces France has decided tohelp develop as so-called"smart cities" - with cleanwater supplies, efficientsewage disposal and publictransportation.

On January 25 French andIndian officials signed morethan a dozen agreements.Hollande and French businessleaders met with their Indiancounterparts to boost bilateraltrade, which in 2014 totalled$8.6 billion.

In joint press conferencePrime minister Shri NarendraModi said on Rafale jets,except for the financial aspects,we have an intergovernmental agreement onthe 36 jets. "We will resolve thefinancial aspects soon." ShriModi added "Paris toPathankot are challenges forus. Terrorism is against

humanity. To fight this, wehave to unite." He added"Paris to Pathankot arechallenges for us. Terrorism isagainst humanity. To fightthis, we have to unite. At theCOP 21, thanks to yourleadership an agreement wassigned. This has allowed us toestablish a new environmentalframework." He also invitedFrench businessmen to investin India. India and France arecommitted to a secure andsuccessful future.

French President ShriHollande said "This is witnessto outstanding relationsbetween India and France. Headded "I am proud tocelebrate with you the birth

anniversary of yourConstitution. This is a newchapter in our strategicpartnership which waslaunched in 1988.We areworking on deal, these samejets are fighting ISIS. Thereremain some financial issuesthat will be sorted out in acouple of days."

The Prime Minister ShriNarendra Modi, and thePresident of France, Mr.Francois Hollande on January25 travelled by metro trainfrom Delhi to Gurgaon, for thefoundation stone layingceremony of the InternationalSolar Alliance.

In his address at theevent, the Prime Minister

'Paris to Pathankot arechallenges for us'

French & Indian officials sign more than a dozen agreements

French President's India visit


recalled how the world hasbeen thinking of how to tacklethe challenge of climatechange. He mentioned that onthe sidelines of the CoP 21meeting in Paris, twosignificant initiatives weretaken. One of these was"Mission Innovation" whichaims to make clean energymore easily accessible forpeople through innovations intechnology. The other was theInternational Solar Alliance,which aims at bringingtogether countries withabundant sunshine, to harnessthe power of the sun.

The Prime Minister said

the International SolarAlliance will work as a lifelinefor people facing the brunt ofclimate change. In this context,he mentioned small islandnations facing the threat ofrising sea levels. The PrimeMinister emphasized that theInternational Solar Alliancewill be an independentorganisation, just like theUnited Nations.

The Prime Minister, ShriNarendra Modi and PresidentMr. Francois Hollande paid ajoint visit to the GovernmentMuseum and Art Gallery inChandigarh, as part of theirengagements during the State

Visit of President Hollande toIndia on the first day of arrival.

The two Leaders viewedthe displays of archaeologicalfindings from the foothills ofthe Himalayas which suggesthuman activity possibly datingback to 2.6 million years ago,making them among theoldest known remnants ofhuman existence. Thissignificant discovery is theresult of seven years ofextensive research andcollaboration between thePrehistory Department of theNational Museum of NaturalHistory of France and theSociety of Archaeological andAnthropological Research ofChandigarh

French military contingenttook part in the rrepublic dayparade on 26th January. It wasthe first time in the history ofIndia's Republic Day, a foreignmilitary contingent took partin the annual parade in NewDelhi.

On the day a 123-memberFrench army contingentmarched down Rajpath,Delhi's own Champs Elysees,and presented a ceremonialsalute to President PranabMukherjee.

France's president,Francois Hollande, the guestof honour for the RepublicDay parade this year,applauded as his country'scontingent marched past on acold and foggy morning.

After viewing the paradeon January 26 Hollandeattended a reception at India'ssprawling presidentialpalace.

The Prime Minister said the International SolarAlliance will work as a lifeline for people facingthe brunt of climate change. In this context, hementioned small island nations facing the threatof rising sea levels. The Prime Ministeremphasized that the International Solar Alliancewill be an independent organisation, just like theUnited Nations.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi onFebruary 5 interacted with teaplantation workers in Moran, Assam. At

a public meeting, PM Narendra Modi said thatAssam was known over the world not onlyfor its tea but also for the hard work anddedication that people put into their work.

He noted the fact that tea cultivators ofAssam spent generations and made Indiaproud throughtheir work butthe state did notflourish as thegovernment didnot work foruplifting thelabourers and thepoor. He urgedthe people ofAssam to elect aBJP Governmentthat would fulfilthe aspirations ofpoor in the state."Give anopportunity tothe BJP and wewill make Assamthe Number 1 state", said the Prime Minister.Shri Narendra Modi said there could be nopolitics when it comes to people's welfare.He mentioned that the pride of Assam andwell-being of the state's youth was mostimportant for his Government.

The Prime Minister noted that crores ofrupees for welfare of the poor were lyingidle in the Government treasury. He saidthat his Government was dedicated towelfare of the labourers and hence createda law for bonus to labourers but theopposition was not determined to let thingswork.

Taking a dig at the Congress party, the PMsaid, "Those who have been defeated andreduced to around 40 seats are determined tonot let things work. There are leaders andparties that don't support the BJP still theywant Parliament to work. But one party doesnot want that to happen." The Prime Ministeradded that a bill on National Waterways waspassed in the Lok Sabha that would benefit

Assam but was stuck in the Rajya Sabha.PM Narendra Modi talked about the newly

launched Fasal Bima Yojana. He said that theinitiative was purely for the welfare of farmers.He added that the entire world now reposedfaith in India and was enthusiastic about thecountry.

During a day-long visit to the state ShriModi addressed four functions - including theinauguration of the 12th South Asian Gamesin Guwahati and a Rs 9,965-crore gas crackerproject near Dibrugarh & the workers' rally inMoran near Sivasagar, about 400 km fromGuwahati.

BJP will make AssamNumber one state : Narendra Modi

Prime Minister's Assam Pravas


The Prime Minister, ShriNarendra Modi onFebruary 5 dedicated to

the nation, BrahmaputraCracker and Polymer Limited,a petrochemical complex, atLepetkata, near Dibrugarh.He also dedicated to the

nation, the wax plant ofNumaligarh RefineriesLimited.

Speaking on the occasion,the Prime Minister said that thetwo projects being dedicatedto the nation today, areimportant for two reasons -(a) for the value addition theywould achieve for natural rawmaterials; (b) for theemployment opportunitiesthey would create for theyouth of Assam. He said thatwith the dedication of these

projects to the nation, therewas joy (Anand) across thecountry and all-round joy(Sarbanand) in Assam.

Highlighting theimportance of completingprojects in time, the PrimeMinister said this would

ensure employmentgeneration, and avoid massivecost overruns. He said rapidindustrial development of thecountry is necessary to createemployment for India's youth.In this context, the PrimeMinister mentioned hisPRAGATI initiative, which hesaid is giving impetus tostalled projects worth lakhs ofcrore rupees.

The Prime Ministerreiterated that eastern Indiamust develop, for the all-

'Rapid industrial development is necessary tocreate employment for India's youth'

round development of India.In this context, he said theUnion Government is payingspecial attention to the North-Eastern region by boostinginfrastructure andconnectivity.

The Prime Minister said

that the initiatives of the UnionGovernment, includingMUDRA and Start-up India,were aimed at creating freshopportunities for the youth.He said employmentopportunities have to becreated not just in big cities butin smaller towns too. He saidthe Union Government isworking on the principle ofcooperative federalism, andboth the Centre and Stateshave to work together fordevelopment.

PM dedicates Brahmaputra Cracker & Polymer in Assam


Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, inhis first ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme of2016, on January 31st once again

appealed to the people to increasingly adoptkhadi, which he said has become a “symbol”and has great potential to create employment.

Shri Modi also called for technologicalupgradation of the industry and notedwith joy that the solar energy was nowbeing used to power the loom. He alsonoted that youth were developingattraction for Khadi which was now verymuch in vogue as a symbol of fashion.

Media reported that the governmentwas flooded with over four lakh missedcalls from citizens on the new mobilenumber announced by Prime MinisterNarendra Modi during his ‘Mann KiBaat’ address on the day. The mobilenumber, 8190881908, will now allowpeople to listen to the Mann Ki Baatbroadcast any time on their mobile phonesafter leaving a missed call, the PM announced.Prime Minister mentioned the work of Meerut-based NGO Pahal - EkPrayas in his radiop r o g r a m m e .“Cleanliness is nowbeing linked to beauty.For many years, wekept expressing ouranguish towards filth,but it continued toremain as it is. Now,people of the country have started talkingabout cleanliness rather than discussing filth.The work of cleaning is constantly going onin some or the other way. But now, the citizenshave taken a step further; they have nowlinked beauty with cleanliness and it is all themore effective. This is specifically visible onrailway stations. With local art in focus, wall

Prime Minister praises two women fromRajasthan for weaving cloth with solar charkhas

graffiti, beautiful paintings, making attractiveand artistic sign boards, having things thatspread awareness, a lot is being done,” saidPrime Minister Narendra Modi in his MannKi Baat address, while visuals of Pahal - EkPrayas volunteers painting the walls in thecity were played in a half-screen space on

Doordarshan.Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised

two women from Rajasthan. While talkingabout howkhadi canprovide jobsto crores ofIndians, hem e n t i o n e dGeeta Devi(50) andKomal Devi(40), both

from Dausa, for weaving the cloth with ‘solarcharkhas’.

Geeta Devi and Komal Devi beganattending training sessions on ‘solar charkhas’at the office of Khaadi Samiti in Dausa threemonths ago, part of pan-India initiative of theKhadi and Village Industries Commission(KVIC).

Mann Ki Baat

“Cleanliness is now being linked to beauty.For many years, we kept expressing our anguishtowards filth, but it continued to remain as it is.Now, people of the country have started talkingabout cleanliness rather than discussing filth.The work of cleaning is constantly going on insome or the other way.


I am very happy to be here today. Theglobal economy is going through a periodof uncertainty. At a time like this I am glad

that so many participants not only from India,but also from abroad have taken the time tocome here. I am sure all of us in India willbenefit from the experience of other countries.I will take this opportunity to present to yousome of my thoughts on the progress of theIndian economy and on thebusiness environment in India.

Some of you may recallwhat I have said before —thattrue reforms are those whichresult in transformation in thelives of citizens. As I have saidbefore, my goal is “reform totransform”. Let me start withthe basics. What should be thebasic guiding principles ofeconomic policy in any country?

Firstly , we have to improve the use ofour natural and human resources, to increasethe value addition we can get from them. Thismeans increasing the efficiency in allocationof resources. It means greater managerialefficiency. It means removing unnecessarycontrols and distortions.

Secondly , we should create newopportunities for citizens to progress and alsogive them a choice of opportunities.Opportunity is like oxygen to the aspirationalcitizen and we are keen that this is never inshort supply . In simple terms, it means SabkaSaath, Sabka Vikas.

Thirdly, we have to increase the qualityof life of the common citizen and even moreso, the quality of life of the poor. Quality oflife may have an economic aspect, but it is noteconomics alone. If a government is

My goal is “reform to transform”

progressive, and runs an honest and efficientadministration, the biggest beneficiaries arethe poor. I know from my experience, thatpoor governance hurts the poor more than ithurts others. Therefore, improved governanceis as important as economic reform.

We live in a globally connected world.Actions of one country affect another. Suchactions are not only based on trade and

investment but also inmatters of pollution andenvironment. A poet hadsaid that no man is anisland. Today it can be saidthat no country can livealone. It is often said thatall politics is local. To me,all economics is global.Indeed the distinctionbetween domestic affairs

and foreign affairs is increasingly losingrelevance. For a country in the modern day,it is not sufficient that its economic policiesshould only address its domestic priorities.To me, India’s policies must be such that theymake a positive contribution to the rest of theworld.

Many of you are aware of the contributionIndia can make to the global economy at atime of economic stagnation in many parts.For the last four quarters, India has been thefastest growing large economy in the world.In 2014-15, India contributed 7.4% of globalGDP in purchasing power terms. But itcontributed 12.5% of global growth. Thus itscontribution to growth is 68% higher than itsshare of the global economy. FDI in India hasincreased by 39% in the last 18 months, at atime when global FDI has fallen.

But a country’s contribution goes beyond

Delivering his speech on January 29 at the Economic Times Global Business Summit(ETGBS) Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi discussed at length on progress of Indianeconomy & business environment in India. He also glimpsed the achievements of differentsectors of governance. The following is full text of the speech:

PM address to ET Globle Business Meet


economics. Protecting our planet from climatechange is one of the most important tasks forthis generation. If one country reduces itsenvironmental footprint, it creates benefitsfor all others. It is for this reason that in theCOP 21 Summit, India made far reachingcommitments towards the larger welfare ofthe planet. In history, every country that hasgrown has increased its per capita emissionsfootprint. We are committed to re-writingthat history. We are committed to reducingthe emission intensity of our GDP by 33% by2030 even while growing at a fast pace. For acountry which is already at a very low base ofper capita emission, this is a very ambitioustarget. We have committed that by 2030, 40%of our electric power capacity will be fromnon-fossil fuel. We have also committed tobuilding an additional carbon sink of over 2.5billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.This will be done by creating additional forestcover by 2030.This commitment is from acountry with a very low per capita landavailability. We have taken the lead inlaunching an international solar alliance,involving 121 countries falling between theTropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.This initiative will help many developingcountries, from Africa to South America, totake advantage of developments in renewableenergy around the world.

Let me now return to the three policyobjectives I mentioned. I will start with theperformance of Indian economy. Economiststalk about GDP growth, inflation, investment,and the fiscal deficit as key economicparameters. Since this government took office,growth has increased and inflation hasdecreased. Foreign investment has increasedand the fiscal deficit has decreased. Anddespite a slowdown in global trade, thebalance of payments deficit has alsodecreased.

Yet, such broad statistics give only a partialpicture of what we are attempting, and whatwe are achieving. It is often said “the devil isin the detail”. But I believe that God is in theproper execution of many so-called details. It

is these so-called details which, when donewell, add up to a big picture.

You may be interested to know that WhenI give these figures, it is important toremember that in the preceding years, manyof these indicators were moving in theopposite direction. Not only have manyindicators improved, but they have improvedby large margins. For example, in 2013-14, thetotal number of National Highway kilometersawarded was about 3500. This more thandoubled in the first year of this government tonearly 8000 kilometres, an all-time high. Thisyear we are planning to award 10,000kilometres.

Let me give you more examples of quantumleaps. The Shipping Corporation of Indiawhich made a loss of ‘275 crore in 2013-14made a profit of ‘201 crore in 2014-15. This isa turnaround of ‘575 crore in one single year.

In 2013-14, India accounted for just 0.1%of global demand for energy efficient LEDlighting. In 2015-16, it is 12%. Indian LEDbulbs are now the cheapest and mostcompetitive in the world, costing less than adollar versus a global average of 3 dollars. In2013-14, India commissioned 947 megawattsof solar power plants. In 2015-16, this will riseto over 2500 megawatts. It is expected toreach 12,000 megawatts in 2016-17. India’sshare of the global solar energy market willrise from 2.5% in 2014 to 18% in 2016. India’scontribution here is not merely in increasingthe share of clean energy. Its other contributionis that the huge increase in scale has enabledproducers to cut prices benefitting the wholeworld. In 2013-14, 16,800 kilometers oftransmission lines were added. In 2014-15 thisrose to over 22,000, an increase of 32%. In thepower sector as a whole, the cost of powerhas declined by over 30%.

Let me turn to the second aspect -improving opportunities. I believe in thepolitics of empowerment. I believe inempowering the people to improve their ownlives. We undertook the world’s largest andmost successful financial inclusion programme.It has brought over two hundred million


unbanked people into the banking system. Inthe early days of this programme, scepticsfelt that these accounts would have nobalances. You will be surprised to know thattoday these accounts have a balance exceedingRs 30,000 crore or over $4 billion. We havealso issued a record number of debit cards tothem. India is now one of the few countrieswhere the market share of an indigenouscredit card brand exceeds 33%. We haveintroduced a new and comprehensive programof crop insurance. This empowers farmers togive their best, with the state providing coveragainst risks beyond the farmer’s control.

We have introduced soil health cards toempower our farmers. The card will tell everyfarmer the exact character of his soil. This willenable him to increase crop yield, reduce over-use of chemical inputs and fertiliser andrestore soil health.

Entrepreneurship is one of India’straditional strengths. It was sad to see itneglected in the last few yea s.”Business”and “profits” had become bad words. Wehave changed that. We need to valueenterprise and hard work, not wealth. Ourprograms ranging from MUDRA to Start UpIndia and Stand-Up India provide opportunityto the hard working and to the enterprising.In so doing, we have placed special emphasison Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, OtherBackward Classes and women. We areempowering them to become masters of theirown destinies.

Creating opportunities for cities and townsto grow is very crucial. Urban areas are anengine of growth. A key initiative for urbantransformation is the Smart City Mission. TheMission has several ‘firsts’. It is the first timethat certain areas in cities will becomprehensively developed in a systematicand qualitative way. These areas will act as‘light houses’ which will eventually influencethe rest of the city. It is the first time thatthere has been such extensive citizenconsultation. Nearly 2.5 million peopleparticipated through contests, discussions,polls, blogs and talks on the MyGov platform.

This is a major break from the top-downapproach to urban planning. It is the first timethat allocation of funds in a governmentscheme is done not by decisions of ministersor officers but on the basis of competition.This is a good example of competitive andcooperative federalism.

As I mentioned earlier, the role of agovernment does not end with the economyalone. There are many non-economicdimensions which are vital for ensuring thewelfare of the citizens. Good governance iscrucial. We have taken numerous steps whichhave transformative potential. We have endedthe era of high level corruption. This is a factacknowledged by Indians and foreigners, andby critics and supporters of this government.This is not an easy achievement. We haveended political interference and cronycapitalism in nationalized banks. We have forthe first time appointed several heads of publicsector banks from the private sector.Transparent auctions have cleaned up thenatural resources sector which was riddledwith scandals.

Many experts have commented on theneed to reduce subsidies. The new universalaccess to banking through the Jan Dhan Yojana,has enabled plugging of huge leakages insubsidies. In developing countries, fuelsubsidies are generally very difficult to tackle.We have successfully decontrolled cookinggas prices. We are now operating the world’slargest direct benefit transfer scheme forcooking gas. Subsidies are transferred to thebank account of households. Throughelectronic verification, multiple and bogusconnections are eliminated. This enablesgenuine beneficiaries to get what they deservewhile eliminating those who are not eligible.This has substantially reduced the subsidy.

Another subsidized fuel is kerosene, usedby the poor for cooking and lighting, anddistributed by state governments. There isclear evidence that a large quantity ofsubsidized kerosene is misused and diverted.We have begun a pilot in 33 districts wherekerosene will be sold at market prices. The


difference between market price and thesubsidized price will be transferred directlyto bank accounts of those who are poor. Thepoor will be properly identified through bankaccounts and biometric identification throughAadhaar. This will eliminate duplicate, non-eligible and bogus consumers. This eliminationwill reduce the total subsidy . We havedecided that 75% of the savings from this willbe passed on to the states. Thereby , we haveencouraged state governments to implementthis in all districts.

The experience of Chandigarh, shows thatthis is possible. In April 2014, there were 68,000beneficiaries of subsidized kerosene inChandigarh. A campaign was launched to issuegas connections to all eligible families. 10,500new gas connections were issued. Kerosenequotas were stopped for 42,000 families whoalready had gas connections. By 31st March,2016, Chandigarh will be declared kerosene-free. Believe it or not, till date, the savingachieved in kerosene consumption through thisinitiative is 73%! Two days ago at a meetingwith Chief Secretaries of the States, I wasreviewing implementation of various pensionschemes. I was pleasantly surprised to see thatthere had been noteworthy reduction in leakage,simply by eliminating those who were doublecounted and who were ineligible. In some states,a reduction of 12% in subsidies has been achievedwithout any harm to the poor.

Another major subsidy is on fertilizer. Asubstantial quantity of subsidized urea isdiverted illegally to use in the production ofchemicals. We have introduced a simple buteffective technical solution: neem-coating ofurea. The organic neem coating makes thefertilizer unsuitable for diversion. We havenow achieved 100% neem coating in bothdomestic and imported urea. A significantside benefit has also happened. The collectionof neem leaves for urea has become a newincome earning opportunity for rural women.

I know that several of you are economists.Economists generally believe that humanbeings are rational. They believe people willnot give up a benefit for which they are

entitled. Last year, I gave a call to citizens. Iasked them to give up their cooking gassubsidies, if they felt they were not poorenough to get it. We also made a promise.Every connection given up, would be used togive a new gas connection to a poor family .Poor women in rural India use firewood orbiomass and suffer greatly because of smoke.This scheme is entirely voluntary. You may besurprised to learn that nearly 6.5 million peoplein India have responded to my call. It warmsmy heart, to see that so many of them havecome forward, with no compulsion to benefitthe poor and give up their subsidies. Already,over 5 million new connections have beengiven to the poor. It is a sign of the publicspirit and the self-respect which prevailsamong Indians and shows the potential ofcitizen action. Another example where citizenshave responded is in the case of Khadi. InOctober 2014, I had appealed to all Indians tobuy at least one Khadi garment. In response,Khadi sales have increased substantially.

We have taken a creative approach totackling the problem of loss making powerdistribution companies. Under the UDAYprogramme, short term debt relief is given bystate governments taking over bank loans.But this is accompanied by strong long termconditions to hold both the distributioncompanies and the states. This will create theconditions for rolling out 24x7 power supply.

Our country suffers from an excess of oldand unnecessary laws which obstruct peopleand businesses. We began the exercise ofidentifying unnecessary laws and repealingthem. 1,877 Central laws have been identifiedfor repeal. Out of these, 125 have alreadybeen repealed.Bills for repealing another 758have been passed by the Lok Sabha and areawaiting the approval of the Upper House.

I have given just a few examples of thepotential of improved governance. Thebenefits of improved governance and reducedcorruption are lasting and profound. If ourpolicies are studied closely , you will find thatmany are popular, but none are populist. Everyone of the changes we have made is in the


direction of good governance and rationality.I have been referring to cooking gas,

fertilizer and kerosene subsidies. I mustconfess that I am surprised by the way wordsare used by experts on this matter.When abenefit is given to farmers or to the poor,experts and government officers normally callit a subsidy . However, I find that if a benefitis given to industry or commerce, it is usuallycalled an “in centive” or a “subvention”. Wemust ask ourselves whether this difference inlanguage also reflects a difference in ourattitude? Why is it that subsidies going to thewell-off are portrayed in a positive manner?Let me give you an example. The total revenueloss from incentives to corporate tax payerswas over Rs 62,000 crore.Dividends and longterm capital gains on shares traded in stockexchanges are totally exempt from income taxeven though it is not the poor who earnthem.Since it is exempt, it is not even countedin the Rs 62,000 crore. Double taxationavoidance treaties have in some cases resultedin double non-taxation. This also is not countedin the Rs 62,000 crore. Yet these are rarelyreferred to by those who seek reduction ofsubsidies. Perhaps these are seen as incentivesfor investment. I wonder whether, if thefertiliser subsidy is re-named as “incentivefor agricultural production”, some experts willview it differently.

I am not arguing that all subsidies aregood. My point is that there cannot be anyideological position on such matters. We haveto be pragmatic. We have to eliminate badsubsidies, whether or not they are calledsubsidies. But some subsidies may benecessary to protect the poor and the needyand give them a fair chance to succeed. Hencemy aim is not to eliminate subsidies but torationalize and target them.

In 19 months, much has been achieved.Much more is expected of us. And there arechallenges ahead. Yet, I am now confidentthat we can successfully go forward that wecan successfully go faster, and that we can doso in a way that will benefit the commonpeople.

When the people of a nation make up theirminds to go forward and when the power ofthe people is with us, hard challenges becomehuge opportunities. This confidence of mine isnot formed in a vacuum, but founded on myexperience over the last 19 months.

We inherited a struggling economy , justrecovering from a currency crisis. In less thantwo years, we have taken India to the top ofglobal league tables of foreign investment andgrowth. Friends, we have a long way to gobut I feel ours is a journey well begun. Like alllong journeys, there may be obstacles on theway , but I am confident we will reach ourdestination. We have created a platform for anew future and for a new India: An Indiawhere every child is born safely and maternaland infant mortality are below worldaverages. An India where no person ishouseless, An India where every town andevery village, every school and every train,every street and every house, are clean andsanitary An India where every citizen hasaccess to good health care An India whereevery village has 24x7 electricity An Indiawhere every city is vibrant and livable AnIndia where girls are educated andempowered An India where every boy andevery girl is skilled and ready for productiveemployment An India where agriculture,industry and services provide well-paying jobsto all who need them An India where farmersknow the nature of their soil, have the bestinputs and reach global levels of productivity

An India where enterprises, large and small,have access to capital and credit An Indiawhere start-ups and other businesses provideinnovative solutions An India which is atthe forefront of a global digital economy An India which leads the world in clean energy

An India where every citizen has basic socialsecurity and a pension in old age An Indiawhere citizens trust Government and aretrusted by Government And above all, atransformed India where all citizens have theopportunity to reach their full potential.

Thank you.


The proposal for buildingsmart cities was mootedby Prime Minister

Narendra Modi in 2014 as partof ‘Mission TransformNation’.

The announcement of 20smart cities selected from alist of 97 for funding in thefirst phase is the first timeinvestment in urbandevelopment is being madebased on a competition.

The Smart City Challengehas states nominating citiesthrough an objective andtransparent competitionwithout any centralintervention.

All the cities that have notqualified are still on the listof potential smart cities, andcan ‘move up’ by revisitingand revising their proposalsand participating in thesecond round of thechallenge.

Twenty cities are fundedin the first phase, 40 in thesecond phase, and 40 more inthe third, making it a total of100. The 20 cities in the firststage will get Rs 200 crore in2015-16 and Rs 100 crore eachyear for the next three years,the total amounting to Rs 500crore. All 97 cities were givenRs 2 crore by the Centre tomake their smart city planproposals with technical

Smart City Challenge has kick-started arevolution in urban landscape

By M. Venkaiah Naidu

assistance by national andinternational agencies. BJP-ruled states of Chhattisgarh,Jharkhand and Goa could notmake it into the top 20. Thisspeaks of the unbiased natureof the selection system.

The Smart City Mission

marks the beginning of a‘bottom up’ approach in urbanplanning. Citizenparticipation has beenmandatory for thepreparation of smart cityplans for which a weightageof 16% was given whileevaluating the city-level plans.A total of 15.20 millioncitizens have participated inthe preparation of plans atvarious stages, accounting forabout 12% of the totalpopulation of the 97

participating cities.MyGov.in enlisted an

unprecedented response fromcitizens and otherstakeholders with 2.5 millionpeople sharing their viewsand suggestions. Another 11.7million availed of other

forums like state governmentportals, town hall andneighbourhood meetings, anddifferent competitions.Citizens Become Netizens

A key element of theSmart City Mission is the useof information andcommunication technology toleverage citizen participationfor urban planning byensuring constant exchange ofinformation personalised tothe citizens’ needs andpreferences.

Article


The ministry, inconsultation with BloombergTechnologies, states andurban local bodies, hasevolved a template with a setof 43 questions to assess smartcity plans based on merit,irrespective of the size andtype of the city or town. Thisstandardised format enabledthe cities and towns to expressthemselves fully, bringing outdistinguishing and uniquefeatures of each city, which

otherwise may have beenmissed out.

The Smart City Plans, allreceived by December 15,2015, have been handed overto three teams of evaluatorscomprising Indian andforeign experts.

The competition wasbased on the implementationframework, includingfeasibility and cost-effectiveness, which has aweightage of 30%, followedby result orientation (20%),citizen participation (16%),smartness of proposal (10%),strategic plan (10%), visionand goals (5%), evidence-

based city profiling and keyperformance indicators (5%),and processes followed (4%).

In these 20 smart cities, atotal investment of Rs 50,802crore has been proposedduring the five-year period.Of the 20 cities, 18 have comeforward with retrofittingproposals; one city with bothretrofitting andredevelopment, and anotherto take up onlyredevelopment.

A total area of 26,735acres will be taken up forimprovements in these 20cities, includingredevelopment of 425 acres.Smartly Flexible

Eleven states and theUnion territory (UT) of Delhihave made it to the top 20.With Jammu & Kashmir stillto decide on its choice, 23states and UTs are still to becovered under the Smart CityMission. We are giving thetop-ranking city in each ofthese 23 states and UTs anopportunity to upgrade theirsmart city proposals in a fast-track round of competition.

They will be given time tillApril 15, 2016, to submit theirupgraded proposals.

The normal Round 2 ofthe competition for theremaining 54 cities and townswill begin on April 1, 2016.Those who do not make thegrade in fast-trackcompetition will also join thissecond round.

Many cities in theproposed list of 98 smart citiesalso qualify for the AtalMission for Rejuvenation andUrban Transformation(Amrut), the Heritage CityDevelopment andAugmentation Yojana(Hriday) and the HousingMission. This convergenceleads to integrateddevelopment.

The mission’simplementation at the citylevel will be done by a specialpurpose vehicle (SPV) thatwill be formed for each of thecities, to identify all thepotential partners from publicand private sectors. Each SPVof a smart city will be headedby a CEO and will havenominees of the central andstate governments, and of theurban local bodies on itsboard.

The Smart City Missionaims to provide world-classinfrastructure, technology-enabled services, sustainablepublic transport andaffordable housing in Indiancities. Nobody can stop an ideawhose time has come. Thesmart city is such an idea.

(The writer is UnionUrban Development Minister.)

Many cities in the proposed list of 98smart cities also qualify for the AtalMission for Rejuvenation and UrbanTransformation (Amrut), the Heritage CityDevelopment and Augmentation Yojana(Hriday) and the Housing Mission. Thisconvergence leads to integrateddevelopment.


Prime Minister NarendraModi on February 7 saidthe Indian Ocean region is

one of his foremost policyinitiatives. Addressing thegathering at the International FleetReview in Visakhapatnam, he alsosaid oceans were critical forglobal energy security.

“It is a tribute to the city thatwithin 14 months, you have risenagainst all odds to welcome theNavies from across the continentsin this International Fleet Review.A little over a year ago, we sawthe full fury of the ocean. Today,thanks to the spirit of the peopleof Visakhapatnam, we arediscussing how the oceans canbe a source of economicprosperity for all of us.”

He added, “For mepersonally, witnessing theharmony among the best ofInternational Navies here has beena rewarding experience. Just overthree months earlier in October,we welcomed in Delhi, for thefirst time ever, all the 54 Africannations, including over 40 Headsof State for the 3rd India-AfricaSummit.”

“A few weeks earlier inAugust 2015, India had hosted inJaipur 14 Heads of the State forthe Second Forum for India-Pacific Island Cooperation. Justday before yesterday, wewelcomed all the SAARCcountries for the 12th South AsianGames in Guwahati. And today itis our pleasure to welcome 50

India to host the first everGlobal Maritime Summit

foreign Navies from every cornerof the globe at India’s secondInternational Fleet review- thefirst one on India’s East Coast.Your participation is a messageof cooperation and friendship thatwe deeply cherish.”

On behalf the people of IndiaShri Modi thanked all participantsfrom different countries foraccepting our invitation and joiningin this event with greatenthusiasm.

The oceans and world’swaterways are global commons.Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam– theconcept of whole world as afamily – is perhaps most vividlywitnessed on the oceans of the

planet, that connect us all, ShriModi said. The last time Indiahosted the International FleetReview was in the year 2001, inthe city of Mumbai.

“Over 90% of globalmerchandise trade is carried onthe oceans. The threat of naturaldisasters like tsunamis andcyclones is ever present.Manmade problems such as oilspills, climate change continue torisk the stability of the maritimedomain. A peaceful and stablemaritime environment is,therefore, critical for the regionaland global security. It is also amust to harvest the riches of theoceanic ecosystems.”

BJP National President Shri Amit Shah inaguarted onFebruary 2,2016 the party’s new library building at itsheadquarters. The library,spread over 3,000 squarefeet, has 2,000 books andas many digital books,besides subscription toaround 100 national andinternational journals. Onthe occasion Shri Shahpointed out that thelibrary should reflect notonly nationalistic literaturebut also include othersocio-political literatures and records of the literature related toother political parties & social movements. He added, this typeof facilities of the library should make available in the statesoffice and the district party office.

Amit Shah inaugurates new librarybuilding in BJP central office

International Fleet Review in Visakhapatnam


Pleasure is the cause of painThe cause of pain is pleasure. The man

who is addicted to taking tea, and is in thehabit of taking fruits and milk after meals,feels very miserable when he cannot get tea,or fruits and milk, in a certain place. Whenthe wife dies, the husbandis drowned in sorrow, notbecause of the loss of hisloving partner in life, butbecause he cannot getsexual pleasure now.

The cause of pain ispleasure. The cause ofdeath is love for sensuallife. Give up all sensualpleasures, if you do notwant pain. Give up sensuallife, if you do not want death.

Enjoyment cannot bring satisfaction of desire.On the contrary, it aggravates and intensifiesdesires and makes the mind more restlessthrough sense-hankering or Trishna, just as thepouring of ghee or oil aggravates fire. The fewerthe wants, the greater the happiness.

Many rich persons, in spite of their immensewealth and possession of two or three wives,are extremely miserable and unhappy. I havecome in contact with several rich landlords.They are all discontented, restless, peevish andvery miserable. It is evident, therefore, thathappiness does not lie either in money, objectsor woman (or man).The source of happiness

There is no happiness at all in any of theobjects of the world. There is not an iota ofhappiness in objects, because they areinsentient. Even the sensual pleasure is areflection of the Atmic bliss only. It is sheerignorance to think that we derive any pleasurefrom the sense-objects or from the mind.

When there is a desire in the mind, the

mind is filled with Rajas. It is in an agitatedcondition. It is restless and unpeaceful. It willbe restless till the desired object is attained.When the object is attained and enjoyed, whenthe desire is gratified, the mind moves towardsthe Inner Soul. It ceases functioning. It is filled

with Sattva. All thoughtssubside for a split second; themind rests in the Soul within.The Soul’s bliss is reflected inthe intellect. But the ignorantman thinks that he is gettingthe happiness from the object;just as the dog which is bitinga dry bone imagines that it isgetting the pleasure from thebone, that the blood is oozingfrom the bone, whereas in

reality, the blood comes from its own palate.Real happiness is within

Real happiness is within you. It is in theAtman. It is subjective. It manifests when themind is concentrated. When the Indriyas arewithdrawn from the objects outside, whenthe mind is one-pointed, when there is Vasana-kshya and Manonasa, when you becomedesireless and thoughtless, Atmic bliss beginsto dawn, spiritual Ananda begins to thrill.

The musk is in the navel of the deer, butit runs here and there to smell it. The chain isin the neck of the damsel, but she runs hitherand thither in search of it. The preciousdiamond is within you, but you run after thebroken glass-pieces in vain. Even so, the oceanof bliss is within you; the fountain of joy iswithin you; and yet, you run here and therein search of it. The Sun of suns is ever shiningin you, but your blind eyes cannot behold it.The eternal sound is ringing within you, butyour deaf ears cannot hear it.

To be continued …………..Courtesy: The Divine Life Society

Golden words from Aadhyatama

HAPPINESSBy Sri Swami Sivananda

contents. nandkishore garg for dr. mookerjee smruti nyas, at excelprints, c-36, f.f. complex,...

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