What impressed me most about the just concluded G20 summit in New Delhi is not the Delhi Declaration 2023 or the grandeur of the venue or the gala buffet, but the way the heads of most powerful states of the world walked barefoot to Rajghat, the samadhi or tomb of father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi, led by our prime minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. Such a respect for Bharat/India almost makes me weep. There are puddles of water from previous evening’s monsoons that must have dirtied their socks or plain foot (as in case of the UK PM etc) but they don’t seem to mind the one kilometer stroll in the wet grounds. The Japanese PM ‘s wife showcased the ultimate respect resplendent in a bottle green silk sari complete with a bindi on her forehead. Thank you world for putting your trust on Bharat/India. We shall live up to that through eternity.
Our prime minister is well past his retirement age. He is working overtime for the nation and he has nothing to show by way of personal/material gain. India used to breed brahmacharis like him. Hindu culture is full of men like him starting from Bhishma pitamaha in Mahabharat times to those like Vivekananda, Ramana Maharishi and even Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Abdul Kalam etc., in recent times. These men chose celibacy and bachelorhood over marriage and family life to serve the nation/community in various walks of life. Mentored from very younger years, they lived up to their promises and made a difference to the society at large. This rare cultivated breed is now dying in Bharat sadly as such a sense of selfless service is getting scarcer to find day by day.
Bharat is scripting history hosting and chairing the G20 summit in the capital New Delhi, attended by the top 20 powerful nations on earth: United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, South Korea, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Japan, Turkey, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Canada, South Africa and the European Union. Notable absentees may be Russia (reason Ukraine) and China (delhi belly 😀 )that have sent their second level teams. The venue is Bharat Mandapam whose architecture, interior and decor reflect the rich ancient heritage of the oldest and only continuously surviving civilization on earth, which is also the world’s largest democracy. India is already reverted to ‘Bharat’ as one can observe from nameplates etc. Security in Delhi is beefed up. The guest countries include the UAE and Oman from Middle east and Mauritius, Bangladesh, Spain and the Netherlands among others. India seems to be breaking the ice with Turkey. For the first time in Independent India history, India-Pakistan ties couldn’t have been better. Modi-Jaishankar brand of diplomacy is phenomenal. Together with Doval, the trio are the greatest plus for India. The G20 talks focused on climate change. The Delhi Declaration is out and the joint statement is signed by the member countries who have principally and unanimously arrived at a consensus on the state of political affairs of the world (read Ukraine-Russia war). Very bold, yet mature and restrained drafting by Bharat (India) chairing the G20.
So is India, officially ‘Bharat’ already? We are only reverting to our original name after some three centuries. G20 is a good platform to make the official global announcement. Besides, Bharat is mentioned in our constitution. This is after all the land of Bharatha, ancestor of Lord Ram. Interestingly, I get to watch Pakistan tv here in Doha. Never have I heard them mention us as India. Their Urdu news bulletins and discussions always mention India as Bharat only. Tamil/Malayalam and other vernacular news channels also refer to us as Bhaaratham. Poet and freedom fighter Subrahmanya Bharathi sang thus: Paarukkulle nalla naadu, engal Bhaaratha naadu. And of course, Bharat it has been with national/desi Hindi news channels. Nothing new. So DMK hypocrites have lost deposit already in the subject. Matter closed for further discussions. Meanwhile China can keep out of Bharat’s internal matters as the communist country does not even grant the rights for debates to the Chinese citizens. I loved Modi ji’s picture with the Bangladesh PM draped in a sari. They seem to have an understanding friendship-partnership which is crucial for bilateral ties. This third world nation could have gone the Pakistan way but they chose not to repeat the historical mistake. The conscious choices individuals/nations make decide their destiny. India’s neighbourhood concerns me more over the distant west.
By the way, impressive menu for the statesmen for dinner hosted by President Smt. Droupadi Murmu as chef Sanjeev Kapoor reveals. The daawat is a spread of finest cuisine, pan India, put forth with the millet theme, millet having been the superfood of our Hindu ancestors. Millets are making back their way into our homes now like never before and are here to stay.
The journalists got a share in the pie as well.
Here is the pretty picture! Sari goes well with the wife of the Japanese PM. She is comfortable draping the Benarasi which is commendable.
Before the closing note and wrap-up was the visit to the Raj Ghat by dignitaries led by PM Shri Narendra Modi where the leaders of G20 paid tributes to father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. Good job India!
Sengol/Raj Danda installed amid controversies next to speaker
The Aadheenams of the most ancient temples of Tamil Nadu that have seen the Cholas had their day when the ‘Sengol’ of Thamizh (Chozha) kings was installed by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in India’s new parliament building that was inaugurated with Sarva Dharma (all faith prayers) yesterday. Those who have grown up listening to Odhuvaar singing to Kapaleeshwara or Karpagaambal or Valleeshwara or even Abirami of Thirukadaiyur or Meenakshi of Madurai etc., may know that the Odhuvar tradition is now a dying tradition in our temples. Most temples not only in Tamil Nadu but also in all parts of INdia are controlled by the respective state governments that shamelessly use the Hindu temple fund for financing even the salaries of masjid workers for instance as we see in Kerala. Whereas the poor archakas of the temples are left high and dry with inadequate salaries, the government officials who have no connection with the temples drive latest sedans and SUVs drawing handsome pay packets. In Sri Venkateswara temple in Tirumala, there were even Christians employed in the Devastanams who were ready to fight legal battles for retaining their jobs. This is the true cost of secularism. Temples under the Aadheenam may be free of state government clutches but how are they deploying the funds from the temples under their administration from their overflowing coffers. How many temples in Kumbakonam, Mayavaram etc., are in dire need of basic repairs? Some temple towers (gopurams) that are over 1500 years old are even on the verge of collapsing. Worst maintained and not kept clean. Bribes in the abode of god, be it temple under Tamil Nadu temple and charitable trust (govt department) or those under the aegis of the Adheenams are a dampaner but I understand that special darshans are crowd management tactics. What melted my heart was hearing Thevaram and Thiruvasagam chantings reverberating from our seat of governance in Delhi. Most ancient mantras in Thamizh, the verses have the antiquity and sanctity and aura of the ages old Sanskrit scriptures. It was especially enthralling to note the Odhuvar attached to Kapaleeshwar temple, Mylapore play a pivotal role in the ‘grihapravesh’ or the housewarming ceremony. Interestingly the new parliament of INdia is triangular shaped representing the most powerful Sri Yantra. Two inverted Triangles overlapping each other represent union of Shiva and Shakthi: the static energy and the kinetic energy that is the driving force. Shiva is latent, Shakthi is the force.
Delhi was Indraprastha in Mahabharat from another plane of time. Delhi has been in the thick of things for centuries, believed to have been the capital of the Pandavas. India’s destiny is closely linked to how Delhi evolved with time. So the significance of continuing to have Delhi as India’s capital is understandable. Even so, why should not there be an alternative to Delhi. Today I was watching the you tube video of building plans for a new Indian parliament in Delhi. I was struck by a thought. Our capital city was also the seat of the Delhi sultanate. Aurangzeb ruled from Delhi. The British Raj functioned from Delhi where the viceroy’s residence was turned into Rashtrapathi Bhavan, the presidential palace, on India’s independence. India retained much of the colonial architecture from the British days and Delhi profusely was Mugal in make-up. I am yet to visit my capital city frankly! But from what I see in media I feel no soul connection to India’s capital. That kind of India is something most of us Indians cannot identify with. Lost is the Mahabharath umbilical cord to Delhi. Delhi is now more and more identified with its residual mogul imperialism. So average Hindu, especially a south Indian, can hardly connect to Delhi. We cannot reckon with our invaders from Middle east, Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan. Taj Mahal has got nothing to do with us. The south largely remained insulated to mogul invasions. Indian history still has the point of view of those who invaded and occupied India over native Indians. We seem to celebrate our invaders and we have forgotten our own golden ages of Chandra Gupta Maurya, Ashoka, Vijayanagara empire, Maratha empire and Shivaji, the Chera, Chola, Pandiya, Pallavas of the south. We have forsaken our ancient Bharat when our Maharajahs ruled just from the Delhi throne. Our history text books underplay local heroes and glorify the invaders. Good to have a multicultural society but not at expense of losing our own perspective. India’s Hindu heritage must be preserved. India’s soul is Hindu not anglicized or arabized. Delhi is hardly representative of the real Bharat. Why should not India have Her capital moved to, say, Orissa for instance. My vote is for this not-so-developed state of India which lies to our south east. The new capital city must not be raised over destroyed forests. Orissa and southern states were hardly touched by the Moguls in direct conflict even if some princely states down south could have become their vassals before falling in step with the British, the Travancore and the Mysore states being the glaring examples. Arcot in Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad in Andhra were administered by mugal vassals who reigned the region without winning a war. So south mostly retained the essence of Bharat without much of distortion. It is vital to build a capital for Bharat from where neither the British nor the Islamic invaders of India governed us. While we accept our pained history as it is, it is also important to break away from the slave mentality or the colonial mindset. We have to disconnect with our troubled past for which moving the seat of power to somewhere outside Delhi can be crucial. India is not merely the mugal empire or the british raj. India is an enigma and the Indian subcontinent is flanked by seas on three sides. We are a varied landscape and diverse population. We need to centralize things. The capital must be reachable, identifiable to all and by all Indian citizens. Even Andhra Pradesh or Telengana is a good choice to build our new capital. Tamil Nadu and Kerala may not be advisable because of easy access by sea. Orissa is a larger state and the capital can be situated far away from the coastline. Madhya Pradesh and Bihar have vast extent of reserve forest areas. We wouldn’t want India’s new capital to be built across our elephant corridors. Moving our capital to geographical center of our nation could give us better sense of inclusiveness in my opinion. Security issues need to be studied in detail. Just wondering!
When our Indian politicians and bureaucrats decide to shoot their big mouths off target, nobody can shut their nonsense and filth up. So damaging were the recent off-the-mark remarks that have sparked a fury in the Middle-east undermining India-GCC bonhomie that took years or perhaps decades to foster. So much so that our late external minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj could quote from Sanskrit at the OPEC meet where Pakistan was kept at bay. Foundation stone for Hindu temples in the Emirates were laid by ruling Arabs. Just imagine the clout India has been enjoying in the epicenter of Islamic fraternity. Millions of Indian citizens are gainfully employed in the gulf nations repatriating valuable foreign exchange over years. Indians own business enterprises, Indians run hospitals to supermarkets. Indians are successful entrepreneurs. Indians are doctors and engineers to shopkeepers and teachers. Indians are SAP professionals. Indians are bankers. Indian community is far better placed among the whole lot of expats – some 100+ nationalities, who constitute the workforce in various capacities in GCC countries. Indians enjoy unparalleled prestige and respect in the Arab world that took years and Himalayan efforts to earn. And a majority of Indians making a living in Islamic nations are HINDUS. India’s traumatic history has left some scars no doubt but we are now invested in mutually beneficial economic and productive activities in the Middle East, that has offset many a bad memory kept alive only thanks to our textbooks. In today’s context especially when world economy is sluggish and employers are cutting corners giving pink slip to long serving staff without batting their eyelids, GCC nations are doing a great job employing not just Indians but blue and white collar workers of every race, hue and faith without a discrimination.
We expat Indian Hindus feel safest and securest living in Arab countries over living in crime-ridden India. We are respected, treated fair and well provided with. We enjoy world class medical and other amenities for FREE. The Arab governments take good care of us. For most of us NRIs, it is the inevitability of returning to India for good someday that seems like a nightmare.
Exactly what is the contribution to Indian economy from the Silicon valley NRIs in the US. From the Patels of hotel chains. It is always the expats employed in Arab countries who fill India’s coffers with foreign currencies and gold bullion. It is the NRIs from middle east who drive the stock markets and real estates up with their substantial investments. Who is buying the gold bonds, debentures, retirement plans and insurances the way the expats from gulf nations do. Suppose the NRIs in the gulf nations are to be displaced, can India find suitable placement for every single one of them returning home. Its not just economics, employment in gulf also guarantees India longtime peace and spares India from civil-war like grave economic situations. The harsh truth is that, the core industry of India still cannot absorb the quantum of fresh graduates Indian universities are churning out year after year. Where will all these young men and women fit in. Partly Indian government’s headache finds a panacea in job markets open for Indian citizens in gulf countries. Unlike the US, UK, Australia and Canada who want only the creamiest Indians leading to braindrain in India, the gulf countries provide scope of better and fruitful engagement for our middle level grads and even factory and site workers. To absorb and train a healthy chunk of the core industry workers produced by India is the greatest service the GCC countries render to India. Once upon a time, it were the Keralites who comprised the maximum percentage of Indian expat community in the gulf countries. Now, there is representation from every corner of India in gulf nations. Representation found a new meaning, I mused, when I struck up a conversation with Bhutan women in a shopping mall in Qatar. There are the blue collar workers employed as site workers, chauffeurs, cooks, shop assistants, nursing staff etc., who may be otherwise jobless in India plunging the nation into misery and chaos.
Will Nupur Sharma or whichever loudmouth find jobs for millions of Indians gainfully employed in GCC countries, in India. What is the need to upset the applecart? Highly irresponsible. Years of diplomacy and political correctness and goodwill have finally come to a naught thanks to such an insensitive ignoramus. The cost of this hostility will be borne by the labour class and working class Indians working in GCC countries. Every single loose canon shot by careless Indian politicians damages the political goodwill hard-earned by the Indian diaspora over years. It only takes a moment of sheer callousness and thoughtlessness to destroy such a precious relationship that India has been traditionally enjoying with Arab countries. Our media guys are bastards. Jealous outright. They would rather see the NRIs suffer because these guys are now sweating it out in our tv studios. They will do anything to inflict damages. Then there are the TRP ratings for sensationalizing non-issues. India never took sides when the GCC countries were divided over Qatar. Top brass in India as well as GCC nations are aware of the significance of the strong ties enjoyed by both sides. It is time for Modi government to shut some loudmouths tight. India has been a great ally to Arab countries walking the tightrope, never missing a foot. Hopefully this matter dies quietly the soonest. India can do without these debilitating controversies. This is no good.
Is this a local Indian issue: May be. Media still has to play a responsible role. Sometimes the architects of riots are none but the Indian media. The ones who must be booked are the anchors who did the lead and the producers behind the stories.
Nepal, once the only constitutionally Hindu country in the world now sadly neutralized into secular, is seeing catastrophe with covid surge. India, the behemoth, can survive any onslaught, but Nepal cannot. None can deny the cultural connect we Hindus have with the Himalayan kingdom. Ever since Nepal started batting for China, India-Nepal ties are strained. India should be the good samaritan, the big brother it is to the subcontinent, and come forward to help Nepal in this distress. India has the capacity and capability to accommodate Nepal in the scheme of things. Is our PM Modi listening. An earnest plea dear prime minister, let not our Nepali brothers and sisters suffer. Please fly a contingent right this moment to the landlocked nation that is helpless. Nepal direly is in need of corona vaccines. I am well aware, India needs to take care of 1.3 billion. Still, let us not give up on each other. Vaccinating a few more crores of Nepalis won’t hurt India.
Prime MInister Shri Narendra Modi ji. My earnest appeal to you. Please help our brethren in Nepal on warfooting basis putting aside our political and policy differences. Please send a batch of our India made corona vaccines (Covaxin if not Covishield) at your earliest to Nepal, on humanitarian grounds. Please lend Nepal a helping lifesaving hand in this crisis. I am thanking you in advance on behalf of my Nepali friends.
Nepal is family. Whatever the differences, when India can do this for Bangladesh, why not for Nepal.
vijiravindran's 