NEW DELHI: The love-hate courting between Virender Sehwag and British announcer and journalist Piers Morgan has a brand new chapter. A history
http://transition.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/bye? of taking sarcastic jibes at every other the two had been involved in yet every other banter that worried the India-England very last of the Women s World Cup. As England defeated India in the final by way of nine runs to win the coveted crown for a record fourth time Morgan changed into short to fire the primary shot. In a tweet addressed to the former India batsman he stated: You OK friend @virendersehwag? . You OK friend @virendersehwag? #WWC2017final Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) 1500828131000 Morgan observed it with a screenshot of a tweet he published nearly a yr returned which became regarding a guess he placed that required Sehwag to pay 1,000,000 rupess in charity if England win a World Cup earlier than India luggage some other gold at the Olympics.
http://www.ourpatch.com.au/launceston/users/gdnther He quoted the tweet saying: saying: Ahem @virendersehwag... Pay up! Ahem @virendersehwag... Pay up! Https://t.Co/oRLPxcEd9z Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) 1500830977000 And that turned into it. Not only did he recieve a becoming reply from Sehwag as expected but the whole Twitter community joined the former India opener in giving Morgan a chunk of their mind. This is what Sehwag tweeted in reaction: Me and all of India prouder even on this loss than you may ever be mate.We fought properly The recent standoff between India and China over the Doka La area is one of the many tactical attempts by China at a strategic containment of India. Within the larger regional picture after having made inroads into Pakistan Nepal Sri Lanka Myanmar and Bangladesh China has now targeted Bhutan which appeared to be the last man standing in the immediate neighbourhood of India. It is not surprising therefore that China decided to unilaterally change the status of a disputed tri-junction; a move that is possibly intended to test the strength of India-Bhutan relations as well as to undermine the status of India as a second pole to China in South Asia.Representational image. AFPChina s recently announced One Belt One Road (OBOR) programme is pitched as an economic initiative aimed at improving transport communication and other infrastructural facilities in the South Asian region. The OBOR project however cannot be viewed in isolation without taking into consideration the political motives attached to it.A symbol of Chinese imperialism OBOR is aimed at strengthening China president Xi Jinping s position as the head of the ruling Communist Party of China therefore Jinping has attached his personal reputation to its success. Besides the project also aims to achieve multiple foreign policy goals including positioning China as a regional hegemon in Asia by stamping out any potential balancing efforts by countries like India and Japan. What is noteworthy here is that while Japan has indicated its willingness to cooperate with the Chinese on the OBOR project it is India that has decided to boycott the project citing concerns relating to sovereignty and territorial integrity. Willingly or not India s position against the OBOR project has positioned it as a potential balancer to China s hegemonic designs in the region. Jinping s frustration at India s firm stance on the issue and the rise of India as a potential second pole in South Asia are therefore at the bottom of the recent face-off between the two countries in Doka La.While the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is at the centre of this disagreement it is also the inroads that China has been making into countries like Nepal Bangladesh Myanmar and Sri Lanka that has set off alarm bells in India. The nature of Chinese investments in these countries has put a big question mark over the underlying intentions of Chinese designs in the region. The development of the Gwadar port in Pakistan Hambantota port in Sri Lanka and Kyaukpyu port in Myanmar are interesting cases in point. The trajectory of development of the three port projects and their ultimate end result is too similar for any of this to be a mere coincidence.The Gwadar port was developed using Chinese assistance of more than 200 million. The project was then declared a commercial failure following which in April 2017 the port was leased out to a state run Chinese firm for 40 years.The Hambantota port project in Sri Lanka saw a debt-equity swap under which the Chinese have been granted a shareholding of 80 percent. China is meanwhile demanding about 85 percent share in the Kyaukpyu project in Myanmar.The economies of scale of each of these projects make them financially unviable and will eventually turn them into China s strategic assets in the region.With a strategic port each to the west east and south of India along with multiple other assets being created under the garb of OBOR China s strategic containment of India may not remain a far-fetched idea.India is also acutely aware of China s meddling into the political affairs of Nepal. While India s mishandling of its bilateral relations with the country were fundamental in providing a foot in the door to the Chinese the Chinese investments have now outpaced India s contribution to Nepal.Bhutan on the other hand remains the only country unaffected by the Chinese designs in the region and the recent conflict over Doka La was aimed at changing this status quo. By creating trouble on Bhutan s borders China has attempted to undermine India s support for its immediate neighbours. Had India backed out of the situation the move would have underlined the futility of India s might put a question mark over its status as a reliable partner and opened a door for the establishment of bilateral relations between Bhutan and China thus completing the containment of India in its neighbourhood. Attempting to kill two birds with one stone China s moves in Doka La therefore have wider strategic connotations.India s response to the Doka La crisis must therefore take into consideration the larger dynamics of power play between the two countries in South Asia.The manner in which the Indian forces have been able to hold the Chinese for over a month now already gives the Indian side a psychological edge. That India was able to stand up to a rising hegemon for the interest of its immediate neighbour lends greater credence to its position as a reliable partner. Besides China s threatening posturing in Doka La has been self-defeating at best for its previous claims of peaceful rise and benevolent hegemony have come under scanner.Not only did China violate its commitments made under the treaties of 1988-89 and 2012 it also served to threaten the territorial sovereignty of a tiny country by flexing its military muscles. This is similar to how China has operated in the South China Sea region where its muscle flexing has endangered the sovereignty of other smaller countries in the region.More than the battle of military forces the recent stand-off between the two countries is a battle of narratives. While China has sought to play the victim in the face-off the diplomatic posturing maintained by India over the issue combined with the war mongering by the Chinese media has subtly highlighted the nefarious designs of Chinese hegemony in the region. To its credit India has been able to successfully control the jingoism on its side.Any further stretching of this face-off will weaken China s position. While India will need to press firmly for a diplomatic resolution to the issue any move to unilaterally back out will amount to a psychological victory for the Chinese. Not only will this encourage more such violations in the future it will also position India as a permanent second fiddle to China. To effectively balance China in South Asia India will therefore need to hold its ground this time. Otherwise it will have to permanently live in the dragon s shadow.
London: India captain Mithali Raj said now was time to create the base of a female equivalent to the Indian Premier League after her side s hopes of Women s World Cup final glory were snatched away by England at Lord s.Raj s side looked on course to lift the trophy for the first time at 191 for three chasing 229 for victory in Sunday s final at the home of cricket .Indian women cricket team captain Mithali Raj. ReutersBut on the same Lord s ground where India s men had won an inaugural World Cup title back in 1983 they lost their last seven wickets for just 28 runs to be bowled out for 219 with eight balls to spare.Anya Shrubsole did the damage with a late burst of five wickets for 11 runs in 19 deliveries. The pace bowler s match haul of six for 46 was also the best individual return in any Women s World Cup final.Pressure got to India in the end but the 34-year-old Raj who later confirmed this has been her last World Cup appearance said that would be less likely to happen if they had a tournament to match Australia s Twenty20 Women s Big Bash League or England s equivalent Super League. Everybody was very nervous and I think that resulted in our defeat Raj the all-time leading run-scorer in women s one-day internationals told reporters.England s women have been full-time professionals for some two years now with Raj s side still on their way although the squad did receive bonus payments of 50 lakh Indian rupees ( 60 000) each for reaching the final from the Board of Control for Cricket in India. Set the platform These girls have really set the platform for the upcoming generations in India said Raj. They ve opened up the
https://www.360cities.net/profile/gdnther channels for women s cricket and they should be really proud of themselves. I have seen the changes the girls have made. Unlike 2005 (when Australia hammered India by 98 runs in the final at Centurion South Africa) this went to the end. India s collapse was sparked by Punam Raut s exit for 86 the top score of the final.Together with Harmanpreet Kaur who made 51 after her astounding 171 not out in India s semi-final win over reigning champions Australia the opener shared a third-wicket stand of 95. We messed it up in the end. It was a very brave innings from Punam said Raj.But the skipper said her side had established a solid foundation for women s cricket in India the sport s financial superpower. The response from the public is very positive said Raj. I m sure the BCCI is very proud of the team. When we lost to South Africa and Australia (in pool play) no one thought we would get to the final. A team like that has come to the finals and given a good fight to the home team. The WBBL has given exposure to the two girls who have played (Smriti Mandhana and Kaur). If more girls participate in such leagues it will give them experience and help them to improve their own game. If you ask me they should have (women s) IPL because now is the right time to create that base. England beaten by India in their opening pool match also made plenty of mistakes in the error-strewn closing overs on the way to winning a fourth World Cup title and third in as many editions on home soil.But in a year where former England captain Rachael Heyhoe Flint the driving force in establishing the inaugural Women s World Cup in 1973 which her side won died and on a match day where the bell to signal the start of play was rung by 105-year-old Eileen Ash the oldest living former England women s international the hosts held their nerve. Cricket s a funny game and pressure s a funny thing said England captain Heather Knight after a win greeted with the sound of thousands of girls cheering in the stands of a capacity crowd rather than the polite applause usually associated with Lord s. It s a World Cup final we knew if we held our nerve we would be in with a chance but it did feel like it was slipping away at 190 for three. But we fought like hell in this tournament and today was no different.
LONDON: With 29 runs to go and 33 balls and five wickets in hand history beckoned the Indian women s cricket team. Already comparisons were being drawn with the famous triumph of the men s team in 1983 at the same historic ground of Lord s. That win had not only changed Indian cricket but also catalysed a complete shift in the game s balance of power. Surely a victory for India s women would have a similiar transformative effect? Could a women s IPL be far behind? READ ALSO: Proud of the team they gave their best tweets PM Modi Unfortunately England and Anya Shrubsole in particular had other ideas. Shrubsole ran through the Indian line-up finishing with the best ever figures in a Women s World Cup final 6 for 46 and the player of the match award as the inexperienced lower order imploded. Indian supporters were left heartbroken musing forlornly on what might have been. Speaking at the awards ceremony skipper Mithali Raj said she was proud of the team. Her pride is certainly justified. A generation of Indian fans has suddenly become aware of women s cricket. The team may not have won the title but they have won a million hearts and that could make a huge difference to the future of the sport. The final had begun in overcast conditions but that did not dampen the spirit of the Indian fans draped in the tricolour who danced and sang right from the outset. Their optimism was driven by a mixture of pride in Indian women and hope that this would not just inspire a generation of female Indian cricket players but also elevate the position of women in India. Women cricketers made millions of fans today Mahesh Patel 37 a Gujarati builder from Harrow who moved to the UK 20 years ago from Kenya was having a drink in the Lord s Food Village. It s the second time India has come to a final so if they win it will be another country breaking the form and women s cricket will get promoted more in India he said beaming with optimism. His friend Amit Patel 35 an estate agent from Harrow said: There are no equal opportunities in India. If they win it will help all women In India and encourage women to play sport. Then a crowd of British Indians from the Bharat Army burst into singing and dancing of Ganpati Bappa Morya to the beats of dhol drum dancing with flags draped around them. Riya Bhambra 14 from Hayes whose family is of Punjabi origin was one of them. Despite being born in the UK she said she supported India. Cricket is our national sport in India. It s where our parents are from. it s our roots. Her father Danny Bhambra 41 added I don t think women s cricket has ever had a following like this before. It has always been dominated by men. If India wins more investment will come in women s cricket. I wanted to show my daughter that women can make it in a men s sport. With Indian flags painted on her hands a British Gujarati Keeya Patel aged 8 who lives in Surrey said: At school we just played rounders I always wanted to play cricket at but it was all boys so I have never played it. Her father Hiren Patel 40 a business development manager said The fact the women s team have played so well shows they are better than men. For the first time in its history the Bharat Army had been allowed to bring their dhols into Lord s. About 200 members were dancing eating and singing to dhol beats inbetween overs in their own zone. This match is very significant because it puts Indian women s cricket on the map and shows they can represent India in cricket explained Raj Patl 50 who had come down from Leicester. Then bhangra beats started and they all stood up for a quick dance. We like bringing the dhol because it creates a carnival atmosphere. I think Lord s was a bit stuffy before. The whole point is it s a day out he said. clutching some cymbals and wearing a Bharat Army shirt. Then England won. I feel gutted said Madhu Jain a London-based solicitor wearing an Indian flag designed dress. That is two finals where we have beaten the champions and then lost. We lost to Pakistan and then to England. We were the underdogs so we deserved to win. We got so close. I am still the biggest fan of Indian women s cricket. They have created millions of fans today said Rahul Vyas 39 who was born in Madhya Pradesh and lives in London.
By: Express Web Desk | Published:July 24 2017 4:21 am London : India players stand dejected prior to receiving their runners-up medals after losing the CC Women s World Cup final match against England at Lord s in London Sunday July 23 2017. AP/PTI(AP7_23_2017_000228B) Related News Madhya Pradesh government announces Rs 50 lakh reward for India women s cricket teamMithali Raj named captain of ICC Women s World Cup 2017 team of the tournamentICC Women s World Cup 2017: The whole team must enjoy the way we played says Jhulan GoswamiIndia did little wrong for the better part of the chase against England in the final of ICC Women s World Cup 2017. They were in control while Punam Raut Harmanpreet Kaur and later Veda Krishnamurthy. Punam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur shared a 95-run stand for the third wicket and even when the latter got out it looked like India would get to the target of 229 runs. But it all went horribly wrong after Raut s wicket fell. Veda Krishnamurthy could not hold a falling batting lineup together on her own and India ended up losing their last seven wickets for a paltry 28 runs. Here are a few areas that looked to be where England were superior to India on the day. Experience: In the end England who won their fourth World Cup title on Sunday showed why experience matters. While India were playing only their second final first in 12 years England were finalists five times and looked relaxed even when the going got tough. India on the other hand looked under the weather when Krishnamurthy was dismissed. They looked like a team of players who did not know what to do in a situation like this and they can t be blamed. It really was the first time they found themselves in a situation where they were so close yet so far from a World Cup title. Homework: She starred for India and helped the team win against Australia in the semi-final. Her 171-run innings had 20 fours and seven sixes. But Harmanpreet needed a different approach in the final. The England bowlers bowled a straight line to her. That is why she could play only one run on the off-side while 50 other were on the leg side. Fielding: Sarah Taylor effected two run-outs and almost pulled off a stumping of Deepti Sharma. Fielding more often than not is where a team can win or lose the mental battle which is central to a match as big as a World Cup final. England made the difference in the field on Sunday. Indian were guilty of overthrows and misfields which cost them many runs. On the other hand England were spot-on and did not give any easy
http://freetexthost.com/d30f2t1veg runs. Pressure: Mithali Raj was not the picture of calmness as she has been for the better part of the tournament after the dismissal of Veda Krishnamurthy. The nervousness she felt seemed to be one that was shared by the entire team. Every time a new batter came in she brought in that nervousness with her. It is the only way one can explain why a player would go for a lofted shot when only 11 runs are needed to win from 18 balls. Those nerves in the end cost them the match and the Cup. For all the latest Sports News download Indian Express App IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd More Related News BCCI plans grand felicitation for Indian women s team ICC Women s World Cup 2017: Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh offers Harmanpreet Kaur DSP post Tags: ICC Women s World Cup 2017 No Comments.
GALLE (Sri Lanka): New India coach Ravi Shastri will on Wednesday look to prove his team remains the world s best Test side when they take on Sri Lanka in the first of three matches. Shastri who took over the demanding role after Anil Kumble s acrimonious exit last month has backed India to continue the fearless brand of cricket that helped them regain the number one position last year from Pakistan. While India lost the Champions Trophy final to their arch-rivals the Virat Kohli-led side is on a roll after winning 10 of the last 13 Tests overcoming top sides like New Zealand England and Australia. They know their job. They are professional cricketers. Once they step on the field they take over. That is how it should be said Shastri who became head coach after Kumble quit over his untenable relationship with Kohli. My role will be to get the guys (to) express themselves and play (a) fearless brand of cricket the former all-rounder added. While India start as overwhelming favourites after the seventh-ranked Sri Lanka scraped past Zimbabwe in a one-off Test last week Shastri has warned against complacency. Sri Lanka can t be taken lightly at home. Their track record playing at home is as good as any another team. We would look to improve in the series said the 55-year-old. The visitors have played a two-day warm-up game in Colombo with returning batsman Shikhar Dhawan among the scorers. India could start with three spinners and use left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav with the experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Ashwin said Shastri s presence has always had a positive influence on the team adding that the players were looking to work together with the coach for some amazing results. Ravi bhai has been a fabulous person to have in the dressing room. Even when he was here last time we lost that Test in Galle and (he) really picked us up from that low point in our careers Ashwin told reporters on Monday. Sri Lanka whose new Test skipper Dinesh Chandimal has been ruled out through flu will need all the experience of stand-in-captain Rangana Herath. The left-arm spinner who took 11 wickets against Zimbabwe and his 31st five-wicket haul in 81 Tests is key for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka s pace lineup has been bolstered by the return of veteran Nuwan Pradeep who is likely to start at Galle International Stadium. Dhananjaya de Silva adds muscle to their strong batting arsenal comprising former captain Angelo Mathews Upul Tharanga and Niroshan Dickwella. Sri Lanka s interim coach Nic Pothas said the team should take inspiration from Kohli s men who overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat the islanders in a three-Test series in 2015. The triumph resurrected India s fortunes as they registered their first series win in Sri Lanka for 23 years and went on to become the number one Test side again a year later. I think we probably are in the same situation that Virat was talking about the Indian team being in a few years ago. We are in that rebuilding phase said Pothas. The South African who took charge after Graham Ford s exit last month added he was focused on changing the team s culture and unleashing their potential. Squads: Sri Lanka: Rangana Herath (Captain) Upul Tharanga Dimuth Karunaratne Kusal Mendis Angelo Mathews Asela Gunaratne Niroshan Dickwella Dhananjaya de Silva Danushka Gunathilaka Dilruwan Perera Suranga Lakmal Lahiru Kumara Vishwa Fernando Malinda Pushpakumara Nuwan Pradeep. India: Virat Kohli (Captain) Shikhar Dhawan Lokesh Rahul Cheteshwar Pujara Ajinkya Rahane (vice captain) Rohit Sharma Ravichandran Ashwin Ravindra Jadeja Wriddhiman Saha (wk) Ishant Sharma Umesh Yadav Hardik Pandya Bhuvneshwar Kumar Mohammed Shami Kuldeep Yadav Abhinav Mukund.
Injury-prone India opener KL Rahul has been ruled out of the first Test starting July 26 against Sri Lanka due to viral fever according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) release. The BCCI medical team confirms that opening batsman Mr. KL Rahul is presently down with viral fever. There are no major health concerns and he is making rapid progress much to the satisfaction of the medical team the release said. As a precautionary measure Mr. KL Rahul is advised further rest and hence will not be available for selection for the first Test match against Sri Lanka which starts on July 26 at Galle the release added. Rahul scored a fine half century in a tour match in Colombo his first competitive game in close to four months due to an injury lay-off. He is now down with fever and did not travel with the team from Colombo. He also missed Monday s practice session here. Now Shikhar Dhawan and Abhinav Mukund are likely to open for India. The team s other regular opener Murali Vijay too pulled out of the series at the last minute saying he had not fully recovered from a wrist injury. After making a solid 54 against Sri Lanka Board President s XI in Moratuwa last week Rahul had said that he was nervous about his fitness. You know that you are physically fit and you have done everything that you can worked really hard you are feeling stronger you are feeling fitter Rahul told bcci.tv. But the mind always tells you what if it happens again what if you have to go through the same grind for three months what if your shoulder is not ready what if you have come back early? The Karnataka batsman had just come out of a four-month long break after he injured his shoulder during the four-match series against Australia.
An ideology s durability and strength is often misunderstood by many. Its fiercest believers will always find little to complain but neutral observers can also be sometimes lulled into what is called the willing suspension of disbelief when it comes to the receding impact of a political or religious system on people. It is easy to miss the rumblings on the ground while focusing on an artificial sense of stability created by
https://www.cfd-online.com/Forums/members/gdnther.html apparatchiks of an imploding ideology. Liberalism is going through such a phase both in India and overseas. In India the shock of the Narendra Modi victory in 2014 has been worsened by the PM s continuing popularity the BJP s electoral surge and the crippling inability of the opposition to even play token defence. This sense of anger outrage and helplessness at the right ecosystem s inexorable march would have been more palatable if it had not been accompanied by a nationalistic and religious awakening among the country s majority Hindu population. This awakening seen in outward displays of aggression the increased passion and fervour with which festivals are being celebrated and an increasing sense of pride in the country s rich cultural and religious heritage bodes ill for the liberal left which has always believed in denigrating Hinduism beliefs while praising or elevating those of other religions. Some arguments being made against this trend show the real fear among the liberal left brigade. According to these arguments India s biggest problem is a growing sense of Islamophobia not terrorism terrifying demographic change joblessness or sneak attempts to divide the country. The Hindus they feel are out to get their Muslim neighbours and their alleged hatred has been fed by rantings by fringe extremist groups. This is so silly that one doesn t know where to start. The Hindu does not feel victimised. He does not hate his Muslim or Christian brethren. He would willingly live and work with them and there are many instances where the people from two or three religions live in harmony. What he hates is a crass and corrupt political system that aided and abetted by a section of power-hungry journalists unelected bureaucrats and venal academics try to denigrate the ordinary Hindu s pride in his ancient culture religion and civilisation. The Hindu is upset that a corrupt political system in a desperate search for votes will try and bring about cataclysmic demographic change with little regard for language culture and religious feelings of citizens. The Hindu is angry that a weak impotent state will allow an implacable neighbouring foe to dictate terms while committing aggression in one part of the country in the garb of fighting for freedom. The Hindu is angry that Marxist and liberal historians have spent years whitewashing the crimes of Mughal imperialists and marauding Islamic invaders who looted pillaged and destroyed Hindu temples while enslaving thousands of its people. The Hindu is upset that nothing is being done to stop and roll back the creeping conversion movement that seeks to destroy Hindu identity in the northeast and southern parts of the state. This is the real issue. Not Islamophobia. The average Hindu is angry at the political system its masters whose slavish devotion to a foreign concept of secularism is being
http://www.chihuahua-people.com/members/gdnther.html seen as an attempt to deny the Hindu s true sense of identity. Take the recent attempts by revive the much-maligned theory of Aryan migration. People bent on reviving this discredited concept make an error common among liberal and left thinkers. A nation s identity is not dependent on which migrant group was the first to cross the border centuries ago. It is dependent upon the dominant culture and religion practised by people of that country and region. In India s case it is Hinduism whether one likes it or not. Egypt is an Islamic state. The fact Pharaohs ruled the country centuries ago and developed a vibrant robust culture cannot take away the fact that Egypt s identity is Islamic and its people practise an Islamic culture brought to the country by Arab armies in the eighth century .. It is also wrong to link alleged victimhood to economic security. For the Hindu it is not economic insecurity that makes him angry and resentful but a realisation that justice does not prevail under a corrupt political system. It is not about whether he is poorer than the Muslim or the Christian. The belief that politicians have perverted the principles of natural justice for petty political ends has created a sense of anger and outrage. That anger is now manifesting itself in various ways and eroding the false ramparts built by pseudo-secularists and their entourage in media academia and politics. This alone should give the liberal left warriors enough cause for worry. (Disclaimer: Views published are author s own)
This day 26 years ago India gave up its tag of being an economic laggard. For decades it grew at just 3.5% per year then came July 24 1991. Manmohan Singh then finance minister of India presented a landmark budget that set India on a new economic path. Behind that transition which most of us know as liberalisation was a man who had almost given up his political career to head a monastic order called Siddeswari Peetham in Courtallam in Tamil Nadu. Pamulaparti Venkata Narasimha Rao then prime minister of India ushered in the reforms that pulled India back after it had run out of money in 1991. There was nothing in Rao s political past that indicated that he would be a liberaliser according to Vinay Sitapati who has written a biography of Narasimha Rao Half Lion. Manmohan Singh the brain behind the reforms as Rao s finance minister told Sitapati: I had no inkling that Rao was in favour of liberalisation based on his past record. A socialist at heart Rao was a protectionist until 1991. Jairam Ramesh who was OSD in Rao s PMO during those transformative months in 1991 recalls his meeting with Rao the day after he became Congress president. He told me that he was not an expert on economic issues and that I should coordinate meetings with Pranab Mukherjee and keep briefing him on these subjects Ramesh recounts in his book To The Brink and Back: India s 1991 Story. The man who confessed that he did not understand economics realised the magnitude of the crisis in a couple of hours on June 19. That was two days before he was sworn in as PM. Sitapati says He read a note given to him by cabinet secretary Naresh Chandra on the economic crisis. It took just a few hours for Rao to change his mind and become an economic liberaliser. Ramesh recalls in his book When he saw the note Narasimha Rao s first response was: Is the economic situation that bad? To this Chandra s response was No sir it s worse. The contents of Chandra s eight-page note were not new. Many of the reforms suggested were part of what was dubbed as the controversial M document prepared by Montek Singh Ahluwalia for the VP Singh government. Chandra s note itself Sitapati says had been prepared by the line secretaries of the previous Chandra Shekhar government: It contained the core reforms that Rao and Manmohan Singh would implement a few weeks later. It listed out devaluation trade liberalisation de-licensing etc. It took Rao s political genius to instantly recognise their importance and implement them. Rao shrewdly realised that he needed a finance minister with immense credibility not just to convince the detractors at home but also the doubters abroad. Manmohan Singh the economist with irreproachable integrity was to be the face of the reforms. As Ramesh who had a ringside view of the reforms being unleashed says there could not have been a more unlikely duo playing harbingers of this fundamental change. Both Rao and Manmohan were pillars of the ancient régime stalwarts of the very system they set out to replace. They were also by nature introverts without mass base rallying power or political coteries and together they oozed charisma that would not fill a 10 ml bottle. In a matter of few weeks they would transform the country Ramesh writes. When Rao baulked as with the devaluation of the rupee Singh would steady him. Right from the beginning the prospect of devaluation horrified the prime minister. It was not surprising writes Ramesh. He belonged to a generation that believed that the 6 June 1966 devaluation forced upon Indira Gandhi was a political and economic disaster. Little did he realise that almost exactly a quarter of a century later he would be in the hot seat. Of course numerologically 6.6.66 couldn t be matched! It was a leap of faith for Rao. The first devaluation of the rupee of 7-9% against major currencies took place on July 1. The second devaluation of about 11% happened on July 3. It must have been a listless night for Rao for early morning he called Singh to stall Step 2. But by 9.30 am when Singh made the call to RBI deputy governor C Rangarajan the devaluation had already been carried out. Sitapati writes Embarrassed Manmohan Singh offered to resign saying Let the responsibility lie with me. Rao had always intended his finance minister as a scapegoat but he did not want to sacrifice him just yet. He backed me says Manmohan Singh. It was a two-person financial tango. The devaluation decision says Ramesh was taken by the prime minister and the finance minister and conveyed to the RBI. Singh says Rao was first a little sceptical about the liberalization idea and had to be persuaded. I had to persuade him. I think he was a sceptic to
http://goodnightquotesforher.com/ begin with but later on he was convinced that what we were doing was the right thing to do that there was no other way out. But he wanted to sanctify the middle path that we should undertake liberalization but also take care of the marginalized sections the poor Singh is quoted as having said by his daughter Daman Singh in her book Strictly Personal: Manmohan and Gursharan which covers the years before he became the Prime Minister in 2004. The book is based on Daman s conversations with her parents and hours spent in libraries and archives. He also jokingly told me that if things worked well we would all claim credit and if things didn t work out well I would be sacked he said. With inputs from agencies
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