Comment by Riaz Haq on February 22, 2023 at 8:19am

Schumer in India stresses economic ties as ‘crucial counterweight’ to China

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3866701-schumer-in-india-stress...

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says ties between the U.S. and India are a “crucial counterweight to outcompete China” as he leads a congressional delegation to New Delhi to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We need nations such as India, the world’s largest democracy, to work with us to strengthen democracies in Asia and around the globe. In our meeting with Prime Minister Modi, we stressed that close ties between our two countries would be a crucial counterweight to outcompete China and responding to its authoritarianism,” Schumer said in a statement.

“India is one of the leading powers of the world and a strong U.S.-India relationship is a must for democracy, technology advancement, and a strong world economy.”

Joined by fellow Democratic Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Mark Warner (Va.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (Nev.), among others, Schumer met with Modi to discuss what he called “the growing U.S.-India relationship and the common interests that unite the two largest democracies in the world.”

Among the countries’ shared strategic interests, Schumer listed “outcompeting China, combating climate change, increasing trade and deepening bonds between our two countries” as well as “close cooperation between the U.S. and India in areas such as AI, green hydrogen and advanced tech manufacturing.”

“I strongly believe the continued and strengthened U.S.-India relationship will be the great story that will define the 21st century,” Schumer said.

Modi said afterward that it was “wonderful” to meet with the delegation and expressed appreciation for bipartisan congressional support on “deepening India-US ties anchored in shared democratic values and strong people-to-people ties.”

Schumer’s comments on out-competing Beijing comes amid heightened U.S.-China tensions after the Biden administration shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over U.S. airspace earlier this month. Beijing has insisted the aircraft was a civilian weather device.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday also said the U.S. was concerned China might move to provide lethal aid to Russia as it continues its war against Ukraine, though China hit back at the U.S. for the accusations on Monday.

The Biden administration has made out-competing China a priority, emphasizing the importance of strengthening international alliances to make that happen.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 22, 2023 at 12:56pm

Sunak's refusal to defend the BBC against Modi is a threat to free speech
Imran Mulla , Peter Oborne

https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/uk-india-modi-sunak-bbc-free-...

The Tories, usually quick to condemn countries for curbing media power, risk emboldening the premier's authoritarianism at a pivotal moment in India’s history

In recent weeks, UK Labour party leader Keir Starmer has opened up a cruel new attack line against Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

That line says that Sunak is hopelessly weak, that he’s not big enough for the job, and that he’s too slow to deal with bullies. Time after time, Starmer drives these attacks home at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Over the past few weeks, a new bully has appeared on Sunak’s horizon - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. And Sunak isn’t standing up to him either.

Modi’s government in India is renowned for brutal attacks on the country’s media. So much so that in 2022 an international media watchdog ranked India 150th out of 180 countries in its index of press freedom. Now the Modi government has turned its fire on the BBC, Britain’s national broadcaster and one of the most respected news organisations in the world.

Shockingly, neither Sunak nor his government has lifted a finger to defend it from the Indian prime minister's assault.

'Hostile propaganda'
Modi is furious with the BBC because in late January it released a two-part documentary on his relationship with India’s 200 million Muslims.

The first episode focused on the 2002 anti-Muslim pogrom in the western state of Gujarat. The violence, which happened when Modi was Gujarat's chief minister, saw more than 1,000 people killed.

The BBC documentary revealed that a British government report found Modi “directly responsible”. Although it was aired only in Britain, and featured interviews with members of India’s ruling BJP party who defended Modi, the Indian government’s response was ferocious.

It banned the documentary and called it “hostile propaganda and anti-India garbage”. It ordered YouTube and Twitter in India to block it on their platforms - and they seem to have complied.

When students at the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University tried to screen the documentary, the administration turned off the electricity and internet access. At Delhi University, 24 students were detained by the police for trying to screen it.

Throughout all this, neither Sunak nor his ministers said anything.

In parliament, a Labour politician asked Sunak about the documentary. The prime minister made no attempt to defend the BBC. Instead, he replied that he did not “agree at all” with the BBC’s characterisation of Modi.

Just weeks later, the Indian government launched a brazen attack on the BBC. On 14 February, over a dozen officials from the Indian government’s income tax department arrived at BBC offices in Delhi and Mumbai to carry out a three-day tax raid, or a “survey” as the government calls it.

The Ministry of Finance then accused the BBC of tax evasion.

Incredibly, though, there has been no statement of concern or condemnation from Sunak at this blatant harassment, no public defence of the BBC from the UK government. Astonishingly, the British High Commission in India, which is reportedly monitoring the situation, has not issued a statement.

----

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders took the same view. “These raids have all the appearance of a reprisal against the BBC for releasing a documentary critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi three weeks ago,” it said in an official statement.

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Indian journalist Karan Thapar, speaking about the attack on the BBC, said that the "damage that has been done is to our country, to our country's reputation, to our country's standing as a democracy, and that means that the damage has been done to something that matters to all of us as Indian people”.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 23, 2023 at 7:38am

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy says IITs have become victims to rote learning due to coaching classes


https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/companies/infosys-fou...

As more and more students leave India for higher studies, Infosys founder Narayana Murthy proposed that governments and corporates should “incentivise” researchers with grants and provide facilities to work here. “The 10,000 crore per year grants for universities under the New Education Policy will help institutions become competitive", he said.


https://youtu.be/2vzSwExIoNg

Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy on Tuesday expressed concern over India’s education system saying that even the IITs are becoming a victim of learning by rote due to the “tyranny of coaching classes.” Murthy suggested that our education system needs a reorientation directed towards Socratic questioning.
The Infosys founder, who himself is an IIT alumnus, batted for Socratic questioning in the classroom in order to arrive at solutions to real-world issues. “Many experts feel that (in) our country, (there is an) inability to use research to solve our immediate pressing problems around us… (this) is due to lack of inculcating curiosity at an early age, disconnect between pure or applied research," he said.

As to what could be done to solve this, the 76-year-old suggested that the first component is to reorient teaching in schools and colleges towards Socratic questioning in the classroom to solve real-world problems rather than passing the examinations by rote learning. Socrates was a fifth century (BCE) Greek philosopher credited as the founder of Western philosophy.
Speaking at the 14th edition of the Infosys Prize event in Bengaluru, Murthy said that the nation’s progress on the economic and social front depends on the quality of scientific and technological research. Research thrives in an environment of honour and respect for intellectuals, meritocracy and the support and approbation of such intellectuals from society, he noted.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 24, 2023 at 1:12pm

The war in Ukraine: Impact on Pakistan’s energy security

by Waqar Rizvi


https://www.freiheit.org/south-asia/war-ukraine-impact-pakistans-en...

Pakistan has long dealt with energy-insecurity, a state of affairs exacerbated by the disastrous economic effects of the pandemic, floods and war in Ukraine. While some experts warned Pakistan that its energy dependence was untenable, there were others who believed such concerns were overblown thanks to the abundance and low cost of Liquefied Natural Gas. The war in Ukraine has proven the latter group wrong, the subsequent sanctions disrupting energy supplies from Russia and driving up global prices. Europe's entry into the market and ability to meet any cost in securing limited worldwide supplies place Pakistan in an even more difficult position.

Pakistani officials already warn of mass gas shortages, and load-shedding in households is rampant with areas of the country experiencing daily power cuts that are 16 hours long. The country’s vital textile industry also stands to suffer from an interrupted and limited supply. This situation exists despite Pakistan's possession of exploitable natural resources, owing to policy-makers' dogmatic view that the development of these resources for self-reliance was unachievable. In addition, insecurity and political instability in areas such as resource-rich Balochistan have thwarted any remedial measures.

Pakistan’s alliances and loyalties with traditional allies are being tested at this difficult time. To encourage vital foreign investment in Pakistan's energy sector, the government can take advantage of the desire of the Chinese, Russians, Americans and Europeans to gain influence in the country. Restricted by geopolitical considerations from taking sides in the war on Ukraine, Pakistan must secure its national interests, especially energy security.

Pakistan should eschew inactivity despite the risk of being outbid in the competitive global LNG market. Responsible energy policymaking must be embraced, including the implementation and incentivisation of energy conservation measures, whilst shielding the lower classes from additional energy costs. Needed is a multifaceted energy policy that considers all available resources such as gas, oil, coal, solar, hydro and wind power. Experts must be involved in the formulation of sound strategies to exploit these sources, and Pakistan must learn from its mistakes, such its signing of bad-faith contracts with LNG middlemen, which allowed them to abandon Pakistan's agreements for profits.

However, political turmoil remains the largest contributor to Pakistan's energy insecurity. The government and opposition parties will need to put aside their partisan bickering to prioritize the country’s interests. Sound policies grounded in reality, as opposed to theoretical ones, are called for, and leaders must step up during crises.

Pakistan is in dire need of an infrastructural upgrade and must play all its cards to achieve it. Diplomatically, Pakistan holds significant influence in international forums and has valuable voting power at the United Nations. Economically, Pakistan can promise significant benefits to nations that invest in its natural resources.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 24, 2023 at 6:29pm

The Wire
@thewire_in

After S. Jaishankar said that India cannot pick a fight with China because the latter has a bigger economy, military veterans have accused the Narendra Modi government of having a "defeatist attitude" and "bowing down to a bully".

https://thewire.in/security/veterans-criticise-jaishankar-china


New Delhi: After external affairs minister S. Jaishankar said that India cannot pick a fight with China because the latter has a bigger economy, military veterans have accused the Narendra Modi government of having a “defeatist attitude” and “bowing down to a bully”.

In a podcast with ANI editor-in-chief Smita Prakash on Wednesday, Jaishankar said: “Look, they (China) are the bigger economy. What am I going to do? As a smaller economy, I am going to pick up a fight with the bigger economy? It is not a question of being reactionary, it’s a question of common sense….”

He added that India and China have an agreement not to bring large number of troops to the border, and asked if India should violate that agreement.

Former Navy chief Arun Prakash, a veteran of the 1971 war, tweeted: “If relative size of economies is seen as arbiter of int’l relations, how come nations like Cuba, N Korea & Iran thumb their noses at the USA or Vietnam at China? India, as a democracy, nuclear weapon state & significant economic & mil power must stand firm against hegemony.”



Major General Shail Jha (retired) tweeted: “Mr Jaishankar should know that its not India but China which is picking the fight.”



The veteran added: “Economy or no economy, if we bow down to a bully, we are abandoning our self-respect. Is it acceptable? What a shame. And the guy is being hailed as the greatest FM. It’s cowardice.”



Speaking to The Telegraph, a former lieutenant general said Jaishankar’s statement was “shocking” and was reminiscent of “unconditional surrender”.

“What happened to the so-called muscular nationalism that this government projects in election speeches? Modi’s self-declared muscular nationalism has now capitulated to Chinese aggression and bullying,” the veteran said.

Speaking about Chinese intrusions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the veteran told the newspaper that instead of “asking the Chinese troops to retreat”, the “New India under Modiji agreed to create buffer zones within Indian territories in eastern Ladakh as part of the disengagement agreement, thus ceding further territory to China



A retired colonel said Jaishankar’s “defeatist statement” spoke volumes about Modi’s China policy. “Where is Mr 56-inch Modi’s muscular nationalism when it comes to China?” the former colonel asked.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 25, 2023 at 9:11am

In less than a year, the #Indian government has saved an estimated $3.6 billion by ramping up #Russian #oil imports. The #West’s #sanctions on #Russia’s oil trade have benefited #India hugely. #Modi #UkraineWar #Hindutva #BJP #US https://qz.com/how-much-money-has-india-saved-by-buying-russian-fue...

The amount is possibly much higher. For instance, in May 2022, supplies from Russia were priced at $16 cheaper than the average Indian imported crude oil barrel of $110. By then, Russia had already reduced $30 on every barrel sold to India, Quartz had reported.

India has subsequently bought Russian oil well below the $60-a-barrel cap imposed by the West.

“For some deals this month, the price for Urals (Russia’s flagship crude) in Indian ports, including insurance and delivery by ship, has fallen to around minus $12-$15 per barrel versus a monthly average of dated Brent, down from a discount of $5-$8 per barrel in October and $10-$11 in November,” Reuters reported on Dec. 14, 2022, citing unnamed sources.

India is among Russia’s topmost buyers
Russia changed the target market for its oil supplies to Asia after the US and Europe Union imposed sanctions after its invasion of Ukraine. Till then, Europe was its largest market.

Having ignored the West’s concerns, India now plays a significant role in keeping Russia’s oil balance sheet afloat. The country depends on imports to meet 85% of its petroleum needs. Private players like Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy account for more than half of its total inbound shipments.

This year, Indian refiners cumulatively imported around 1.3 million barrels every day during January 1-15. Private firms accounted for 60% of this, energy intelligence firm Vortexa estimated.

Russia’s increasing share of the Indian oil market
By June 2022, Russia’s share of India’s oil imports had risen from a mere 2% in February 2022—before the Ukraine war—to 18%. Soon after, Russia became India’s second-largest crude oil supplier after Iraq.

The constant lowering of prices compelled Iraq also to follow suit, although that didn’t stop Russia from becoming India’s top supplier.

India stood its ground in the face of criticism from the West over this association.

“Russia has been a steady and time-tested partner. Any objective evaluation of our relationship over many decades would confirm that it has actually served both our countries very, very well,” foreign minister S Jaishankar said in Russia in November 2022, confirming a continuance of policy.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 25, 2023 at 9:19am

#US Sec of State Tony #Blinken Says #India, #SouthAfrica Are on Slow Trajectory Away From Alignment With #Russia. Neither country has joined the West in denouncing Russia's invasion of #Ukraine. #NATO #China https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-02-23/blinken-says-...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday countries like India and South Africa, which have not joined the West in denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine, were likely on a trajectory away from alignment with Moscow but that process would not happen "in one fell swoop."

"There are countries that have long-standing, decades-long relationships with Russia, with the Soviet Union before, that are challenging to break off in one fell swoop. It's not flipping a light switch, it’s moving an aircraft carrier," Blinken said in an interview with The Atlantic, marking the one year anniversary of the war.

India has faced pressure from the West to distance itself from Moscow after Russian invaded Ukraine. New Delhi has thus far resisted that pressure, citing its longstanding ties with Russia and its economic and oil needs.

Russia has been India's largest weapons supplier since the Soviet Union days. However, Washington in recent years has looked to woo New Delhi away from its traditional military supplier. India is desperate to modernize its largely Soviet-era fighter jet fleet to boost its air power after concerns over Russian supply delays due to the Ukraine war.



"India for decades had Russia at the core of providing military equipment to it and its defenses, but what we’ve seen over the last few years is a trajectory away from relying on Russia and moving into partnership with us and other countries," Blinken said.

Blinken also added that he understood the reasons for South Africa's ties with Russia while acknowledging regret for Washington's "sympathetic" approach to the apartheid-era regime in South Africa.

The African National Congress party, which has governed South Africa since white minority rule ended in 1994, had strong ties to the former Soviet Union, which trained and supported anti-apartheid activists during the Cold War. Nelson Mandela, South Africa's anti-apartheid hero, who died in 2013 and was a global icon, was regarded with suspicion by Washington during the Cold War and was even on the U.S. terrorism watch list in that era.

"The Soviet Union was supportive of the freedom forces in South Africa, and of course unfortunately, more than unfortunately, the United States was much too sympathetic to the apartheid regime, so that history also doesn’t get erased, you know, overnight, it's a process," Blinken said.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Jonathan Oatis)

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 26, 2023 at 10:45am

“India's economic growth appears to be 'very fragile' and it may fall short of what the country needs for its growing workforce”.
So says RBI Monetary Policy Committee member Jayanth R. Varma

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/indias-economic-growth-ap...


In India, Mr. Varma said he expects inflation to remain high in 2022-23 but come down significantly in 2023-24.

"However, growth appears to be very fragile, and monetary tightening is compressing demand," he told PTI.

Explaining further, he said rising EMI payments increases the pressure on household budgets and dampens spending, and exports are struggling in the face of global factors.

While noting that high interest rates make private capital investment more difficult, Mr. Varma said the government is in fiscal consolidation mode, thus reducing the support to the economy from this source.

"Because of all these factors, I fear that growth may fall short of what we need to meet the aspirations of our growing workforce given our demographic context and income level," he said.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has projected India's economic growth at 6.4 per cent for 2023- 24. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth is estimated at 7% in 2022-23, according to the first advance estimate of the National Statistical Office (NSO).

The Economic Survey 2022-23 projected a baseline GDP growth of 6.5% in real terms for the next fiscal.

Mr. Varma , currently a professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad said he sees global inflationary pressures dissipating in the months ahead as the supply shocks from the pandemic and from the Ukraine war gradually resolve themselves.

"The world is learning to live with the war," he said, adding that. at the same time monetary tightening is putting growth at risk across the world.

Replying to a question on high inflation, Mr. Varma said 2022-23 is a year of high inflation due to various supply shocks as well as the delay in monetary tightening during the second half of 2022-23.

"However, I expect inflation to come down significantly in 2023-24. I anticipate a gradual glide path that brings inflation down close to the target," he said.

The RBI lowered the consumer price inflation (CPI) forecast to 6.5% for the current fiscal from 6.7%. India's retail inflation in January was 6.52%.

To a question on the Reserve Bank hiking the short-term lending rate, Mr. Varma opined that the balance of risks has shifted towards growth rather than inflation, and in this context, a pause is more appropriate.

While observing that rates are high enough for the MPC to wait and see how the situation evolves, he said, "In the unlikely event of inflation remaining stubbornly high, further rate hikes could be considered at that point of time." The Reserve Bank which has been hiking the short-term lending rate since May last year has cumulatively raised the repo rate by 250 basis points. The repo rate now stands at 6.5%.

Asked what would be the likely impact of hot weather on wheat crop and food inflation, Mr. Varma said he hopes that weather anomalies will prove transient and India have a normal monsoon.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 28, 2023 at 2:38pm

#India #G20Summit : Diplomatic test for #Modi & #Jaishankar as #Ukraine war dominates talks. Any broader agreements that India hopes for will largely depend on one key factor: the war in Ukraine. #Russia #Putin #Biden #UkraineRussiaWar️ #G20India https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-64781836

India's own position has come in for scrutiny and reproach too. It has refrained from directly criticising Russia, with which it has long-standing ties, while increasing imports of Russian oil. Delhi's non-aligned approach initially did not please Western powers but an understanding seems to have evolved.

India may not have criticised Russia directly but it has talked about the importance of "the UN Charter, international law, and respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states" in its past statements on Ukraine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit last autumn was viewed as indirect criticism of Russia. "Today's era is not of war," Mr Modi told the meeting in Uzbekistan in the presence of President Putin.

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India has been positioning itself as a leading voice of developing countries known as the Global South in recent years.

Now, as president of the G20, Delhi could not have a bigger stage on which to deliver.

The world's 19 wealthiest nations plus the European Union account for 85% of global economic output and two-thirds of its population.

But as its foreign ministers meet in Delhi, any broader agreements that India hopes to deliver will largely depend on one key factor: the war in Ukraine.

When G20 leaders gathered last autumn in Bali, under Indonesia's presidency, Russian missiles hit key Ukrainian infrastructure targets as world leaders sat down for dinner. The joint communique clearly showed differences, with India, China and Russia reportedly not agreeing to unequivocal criticism of the invasion.

Not much has changed since then: the war has continued with no sign of peace talks, the world remains as divided, if not more so, and many big economies are still in turmoil.

Comment by Riaz Haq on February 28, 2023 at 2:38pm

In an interview to journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire news portal, Tharoor said: “India undermined its own leadership of the G20 in order to placate the Russians. And, indeed, the Russians issued a statement thanking India for its ‘constructive role’ in not using the word ‘war’. Now, this is getting absurd.”

https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/shashi-tharoors-g20-jab/cid/19...

Further, he said, India could have told the Russians that “we will ensure that there is no condemnation of you, we will ensure there’s no sanctions proposed, we will not have you named in person”. But to say there’s a war in Ukraine and it ought to end is bromide; it’s motherhood and apple pie. For god’s sake, don’t stand in the way. Why we failed to do that is to my mind an absolute setback for the kind of Indian diplomacy I’ve been used to seeing....”



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Former minister of state for external affairs and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday said India undermined its own leadership of the G20 by not managing to get finance ministers of the member countries to agree on a communique in Banglaore last weekend.

In an interview to journalist Karan Thapar for The Wire news portal, Tharoor said: “India undermined its own leadership of the G20 in order to placate the Russians. And, indeed, the Russians issued a statement thanking India for its ‘constructive role’ in not using the word ‘war’. Now, this is getting absurd.”

The news agency PTI had reported from Bangalore on Friday that “host India wants the geopolitical tension to be referred to as a ‘crisis’ or a ‘challenge’ while the US and other western nations want nothing short of ‘war’ to go in the communique” that was to be issued on Saturday evening.

“This is really something which India ought to be embarrassed about,” Tharoor said in the interview, contending that the Indian team should have explained to the Russians that they had to give in on the word “war” to bring about a consensus so that everyone could have a statement to sign on as was the case in Bali last year at the G20 summit.

“This was an example where India’s nerve failed.... Not having an agreed communiqué is a bigger failure for a chairman than having a communiqué with a word that displeases a friend.”

No communique could be issued after the first meeting of G20 finance ministers as Russia and China were opposed to the inclusion of paragraphs condemning the Russian aggression on Ukraine. Instead, a “Chair’s Summary and Outcome Document” was issued in which the Bali communique’s paragraphs on the Russia-Ukraine war were included with a note that Russia and China opposed their inclusion.

According to Tharoor, India could have told the Russians that as the Chair, New Delhi has to be attentive to the wishes of the majority of delegates who want to say that the war should end.

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