The Canadian Parvasi - Issue 95

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Issue No : 95
Email: editor@canadianparvasi.com Contact Number : 905-673-0600 May 24, 2019 | Toronto | Pages 12
With thanks from times of India
CHOWKIDAR’S CHAMATKAAR
Rahul Chases Chowkidar,
Loses His Way
New Delhi: Prime Minister
Narendra Modi led
BJP to an emphatic win
in the Lok Sabha election,
crushing challenger Congress
and other regional
rivals under a saffron juggernaut
powered by a highvoltage
campaign that ran
on the themes of nationalism,
Hindutva and welfare
schemes for the poor.
The results of the election
became apparent
within a couple of hours
of counting on Thursday
morning, with BJP racing
to leads in over 200 seats.
By the end of the day, it had
won more seats in Uttar
Pradesh than Congress did
all over the country. Neither
the “mahagathbandhan”
of SP and BSP in UP
nor regional powerhouses
Trinamool and BJD could
slow BJP’s march to a record
second term in office.
Just like the air strikes
on Balakot that Modi invoked
in his poll speeches,
his campaign flattened opponents
who had hoped
allegations over the Rafale
deal and issues of
unemployment and farm
distress would unseat the
Prime Minister. As things
turned out, Congress’s
“chowkidar chor hai” campaign
found no resonance
and was effectively countered
by the “main bhi
chowkidar” mobilisation.
The unambiguous endorsement
also marked an
ideological triumph over
the “secular” elite after a
hard-fought duel in which
BJP challenged the latter’s
“idea of India” on issues
ranging from sedition
and how to handle J&K to
judicial interference with
religious traditions. Campaign
Modi was a celebration
of his aggressive military
retaliation against
Pakistan-sponsored terror
which the intellectual establishment
derided as
jingoism, as well as an unabashed
emphasis of Hindu
symbols and themes
— an anathema to the “ancien
regime”.
In his victory speech at
the BJP headquarters on
Thursday evening, Modi
said the verdict signalled
the birth of new India’s
hopes and aspirations and
showed that the political
use of “secularism” had
run its course.
The 2019 polls mark
a serious setback for
Congress with a second
successive defeat bound
to bring Rahul Gandhi’s
leadership under scrutiny
while raising questions
about the party’s ability
to negotiate the increasingly
polarised nature of
political contests.
The latest defeat to Narendra
Modi will trigger
bigger concerns in Congress
than its decimation
of 2014. On the backfoot
against a rampaging BJP
for the better part of its
tenure, Congress had fortuitously
managed a clean
sweep over its rival’s
strongholds in MP, Chhattisgarh
and Rajasthan.
As it then stepped up
its campaign focusing on
jobs and the economy,
Congress announced a
manifesto full of schemes
led by the populist flagships
of “right to minimum
income” and “loan
waiver”. It also managed
to seal caste-wise alliances
in states as a firewall
against BJP.
Given the backdrop
and preparations, the tally
of 52 suggests it did not
manage to move the needle
much from the 2014
rout when it was reduced
to 44 seats nationally. The
first question is bound to
be whether Rahul’s relentless
“chowkidar chor
hai” attack on Modi was
prudent. And whether the
Rafale campaign did not
distract from “jobs, NYAY
and economy”.
Continued on page 10

The International News Weekly Canada
May 24, 2019 | Toronto 02
Alzheimer Society of York Region receives federal
funding through New Horizons for Seniors Program
Aurora, ON : The Alzheimer
Society of York
Region will receive federal
funding through the New
Horizons for Seniors Program
(NHSP) to support
the Artwell Project, today
announced Leona Alleslev,
Member of Parliament for
Aurora-Oak Ridges-Richmond
Hill.
The New Horizons for
Seniors Program promotes
positive aging by supporting
seniors’ volunteerism
and encouraging seniors to
play an active role in their
communities. This program
fosters social inclusion and
engagement of seniors by
encouraging them to share
their knowledge, skills and
experience to stay active
and engaged.
Alzheimer Society of
York Region is receiving
$21,477 for their project
funded through the NHSP.
The New Horizons grant
will renew their Artwell
Project, run in partnership
with the McMichael Canadian
Art Collection, where
seniors involved in the organization
will facilitate
and participate in art projects
aimed at enhancing the
cognitive ability of those
living with Alzheimer’s disease
and other dementias
(ADOD), enabling them to
express themselves.
Quotes
“As your Member of
Parliament, I am dedicated
to supporting programs
that allow our seniors to
participate in activities that
meet their needs and interests.
I am proud to represent
organizations like the
Alzheimer Society of York
Region which work tirelessly
to support indviduals
and their families living
with Alzheimer’s disease
and other dementias to ensure
they receive the best
possible services. Projects
like this one allow seniors
to lead and participate in
local activities that ensure
their well-being.”
- Leona Alleslev, Member
of Parliament for Aurora-Oak
Ridges-Richmond
Hill
“We are grateful to New
Horizons for Seniors for
renewing their support of
The Artwell Project and are
privileged to partner with
the McMichael Canadian
Art Collection in delivering
a program that brings joy
and laughter and rekindle
memories in our clients.”
- Loren Freid, CEO of the
Alzheimer Society of York
Region
“The McMichael is
thrilled to be involved once
again in the Artwell project,
a partnership between
Alzheimer Society of York
Region (AS York) and Mc-
Michael Canadian Art Collection.
The project works
closely with older adult volunteers,
engaging clients
living with Alzheimer’s
disease and other forms of
dementia through a series
of tactile art workshops that
evoke forgotten memories
through the process of making
new friends all while
unleashing the inner artist.”
- Christina Kerr, Manager,
Creative Learning
Program Development, The
McMichael Canadian Art
Collection
Quick Facts
• Every year organizations
are invited to
apply for NHSP community-based
funding
through a call for proposals.
The project funding
announced today
was approved as part of
a call for proposals that
launched on May 7, 2018,
and closed on June 22,
2018.
• Community-based projects
are eligible to receive
up to $25,000 in
grant funding and, as of
this year, up to $5,000 in
new small grants funding
for organizations
that have not received
funding within the last
five years.
• A total of approximately
$35 million has been approved
across Canada
for NHSP communitybased
projects in 2018–
2019.
• Community-based project
funding supports
activities that engage
seniors and address one
or more of the program's
five objectives: volunteering,
mentoring, expanding
awareness of
elder abuse, social participation
and capital
assistance.
Councillor Dhillon:
New Projects Will Help
Revitalize Downtown
BRAMPTON, ON- At its meeting on
May 22, Brampton City Council approved
moving three major plans
forward to help increase jobs, attract
investment, and fight congestion in
Brampton. These initiatives will focus
on the City’s efforts to develop its
downtown which will in turn unlock
its economic potential and reinforce
Brampton’s unique position on the Innovation
Corridor.
“These projects, including our plan
to create a cybersecurity hub, will help
position Brampton as a serious contender
for job attraction. Along with
private investment, our continued
partnerships with public institutions
such as Ryerson and Algoma University,
will assist in revitalizing our
downtown,” said Regional Councillor
Gurpreet Singh Dhillon.
The following project were approved
by Council:
Centre for Innovation (CFI):
Brampton’s Centre for Innovation will
be up to a 20 story office complex built
over the current downtown bus terminal
on the northeast corner of Nelson
St & George St, with a cost of approximately
$130 million.
The building is planned to be an
iconic gateway into downtown featuring
a new high-tech central library, as
well as multiple floors of flexible office
space. The CFI is expected to commence
construction in September of
2022, and will be a landmark for train
passengers entering or departing the
city from the Downtown Brampton GO
station.
Downtown Brampton Transit Terminal:
With the CFI approved to be
built on the current Downtown Transit
Terminal on Nelson St, a study will
be conducted to look into expanding
and relocating the terminal, which is
currently operating at full capacity.
Along with approving the study, Council
approved the allocation of $30 million
dollars from the 2023 budget for
the associated costs. As well, city staff
will commence a request of approximately
$22 million from provincial
and federal transit funding streams.
Hurontario Main Light Rail Transit
(HMLRT): The City approved
moving forward with the original
Hurontario-Main Light Rail Transit
approved route, that was rejected by
the previous council, as it’s preferred
route to be pitched to the provincial
and federal governments for funding.
The updated route will now include
a one-way loop option from Main St
around to George St; underground tunneling
options; and include beautification
opportunities on the road along
the route.
Feds offer $15.8B in
new ships to Vancouver,
Halifax while opening
door to Davie
The Canadian Press
OTTAWA : The federal Liberals
are shaking up the
government’s multibilliondollar
shipbuilding plan,
promising $15.7 billion in
new work to the two shipyards
in Vancouver and
Halifax while opening the
door to their bitter rival in
Quebec City.
During a news conference
in Vancouver, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau
said the government will
buy two more Arctic patrol
ships from Halifax-based Irving
Shipbuilding and 16 socalled
multi-purpose vessels
from Seaspan Shipbuilding
in Vancouver.
The ships will be built
for the Canadian Coast
Guard and aim to do two
things: provide the coast
guard with desperately
needed new ships and prevent
layoffs at Irving and
Seaspan, which together
have won billions of dollars
in federal work since 2011.
Yet Irving and Seaspan
are unlikely to be popping
champagne bottles:
Trudeau also revealed the
government plans to hold a
competition to add a third
shipyard to the shipbuilding
plan.
That opens the door to
Davie Shipbuilding becoming
an official partner in
the strategy after years of
intense lobbying, which
Irving and Seaspan have
long opposed for fear their
Quebec City rival will steal
work away from them.
Today’s announcement
in Vancouver, which was to
be followed by similar announcements
by ministers
in the Halifax and Quebec
City areas, comes only a few
months ahead of the federal
election, during which the
Liberals will be looking to
win or hold onto seats in all
three cities.

The International News Weekly Canada
May 24, 2019 | Toronto
03
Top soldier admits handling of Kandahar
memorial ‘hit a nerve;’ vows access
The Canadian Press
TORONTO : Canada’s top
soldier has acknowledged
the anger many Canadians
felt about the way the Kandahar
memorial was unveiled
in Ottawa last week — in a
shroud of secrecy, without
the families of the dead soldiers
present, and with ongoing
limited public access.
In an interview from
Brussels, Gen. Jonathan
Vance promised Wednesday
to make it right.
“We’ll turn this around,”
Vance said. “Where we want
to get to is that anybody who
wants to visit that memorial
can visit.” The monument,
with shiny black plaques
featuring each of Canada’s
military and civilian war
dead, stood for years at Kandahar
Airfield in southern
Afghanistan. It was moved
to Canada after the combat
mission ended in 2011. Other
than a tour of the country,
it had been languishing in a
warehouse until now.
Last week, the opening
of the Afghanistan Memorial
Hall occurred without
public notice or invitations
either to relatives of the dead
depicted on the plaques or
to wounded veterans. Only
days later — just ahead of the
Victoria Day weekend — did
the Department of National
Defence make the opening
public. “To ensure a dignified,
dedication service, a
quiet, limited service was
held in honour of those we
have lost,” the department
said in a statement. “The
decision to hold a humble,
internal event was made by
senior leadership to ensure
proper reverence.”
Jimmy Collins, a former
Canadian Forces sergeant
who lost several platoon
members in a roadside bomb
blast in Kandahar province
in 2009, called the approach
ridiculous and embarrassing.
“It upsets me because it
seems like the federal government
is slowly trying to
make everyone forget about
the conflict in Afghanistan,
the people who served there
and their families,” Collins
said. Sandra Lang, whose
daughter Michelle Lang has
a plaque on the memorial as
the only Canadian journalist
killed in Afghanistan, said
“very disappointed” barely
describes how she and her
husband feel.
“We can’t understand
how the bureaucracy came
up with this misguided
plan,” Lang said. “As usual,
the civilian casualties are ignored
— we have had no correspondence
or notification
of the memorial.”
Vance, who was on hand
for the opening, denied any
attempt to hide the war effort.
The aim, he said, was to
get the memorial up and running
as quickly as possible.
“It was a beautiful ceremony
but it was absent the
families and the wounded,”
Vance said. “It happened. We
need to now come up with a
way to ensure accessibility.”
In Vancouver, Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau
said he wanted to understand
the department’s decision-making.
“(We want) to ensure
that it is a monument that
will be there for everyone
who wants to remember and
celebrate those veterans who
stood for Canada,” he said.
Sean Bruyea, a retired
captain and veterans advocate,
called the opening a
“hypocritical farce.” While
Vance and other government
officials often talk about
the importance of family to
military members and the
military mission, he said, the
words ring hollow. “Their
actions have consistently
contradicted such empty
platitudes,” Bruyea said.
“Preventing a nation, its
soldiers and their families
to openly mourn only turns
the grief inwards upon themselves.
Ultimately, some are
left feeling so abandoned by
our country’s government
that suicide seems like the
only option.”
Vance said the fragility
of the monument was behind
the decision to put it indoors
at defence headquarters.
It would not, he said, have
withstood being outdoors.
Consideration was given to
the War Museum but the memorial
is “more than an artifact,”
he said. The memorial
would not be moved, Vance
said.“There’s a certain elegance
to that, because it’s a
constant reminder for those
who work in the headquarters
… of the perils of war
and the need to make good
decisions around the committal
of troops.” Vance said
he had asked “the team” to
go back and look at ensuring
wider access.
“You’ll see very quickly
a change that is quite proactive
that seeks to get families
in but as importantly,
the general public — people
who want to see it,” Vance
said. “We’re probably going
to have to do something
like what happens at the
Pentagon, where there are
Pentagon tours.” The department
wouldn’t say when any
changes will be implemented.
“Planning is currently
underway to facilitate access
to veterans who would like
to pay respects to their fallen
comrades,” the department
said. “We are also considering
ways to accommodate
special visits by the public on
appropriate occasions.”
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The International News Weekly WORLD
May 24, 2019 | Toronto 04
Washington: Congratulating
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on his reelection,
the United States
has said that the just-concluded
elections in India,
the largest democratic exercise
in human history, is
an inspiration for people
around the world.
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi on Thursday
led his BJP to a supersized
victory for a second
term in office, winning an
absolute majority and on
course to touch the 300-
Washington : The
US Justice Department
has filed 17 new charges
against WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange, who is
currently facing extradition
from the UK, under
the Espionage Act for his
role in unlawfully encouraging,
receiving and publishing
national defence
information in concert
with former American
Army intelligence analyst
Chelsea Manning.
Traditionally, the
Justice Department has
prosecuted government
officials who leak classified
information, but
Thursday's announcement
that a federal grand
jury had returned a fresh
indictment against the
distributor of sensitive
documents marked the
latest move by President
Donald Trump's administration
to crack down on
unauthorized disclosure
of classified information
and press freedoms, CNN
reported.
The new 18-count indictment
handed down
in the Eastern District of
Virginia alleges that Assange
actively solicited
classified information,
provoking Manning to
obtain thousands of pages
of classified material and
providing the former with
diplomatic State Department
cables, Iraq war-related
significant activity
reports and information
related to Guantanamo
Bay detainees.
In April, prosecutors
in Virginia revealed
that Assange had been
charged with a single
Elections in India an inspiration
around the world: United States
seat mark in the 543-member
Lok Sabha.
“Congrats to an American
ally and friend Prime
Minister Narendra Modi
on his party’s win in India’s
parliamentary election,”
Vice President Mike
Pence tweeted.
“This was a strong display
of the Indian people’s
commitment to democracy!
We look forward to
continuing to work with
India for a freer, safer, and
more prosperous region,”
he said.
Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo also took to Twitter
to congratulate the
prime minister.
“Congratulations to
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Assange faces 17 new charges
under Espionage Act
count of conspiracy to
commit computer intrusion
related to helping
Manning obtain access to
Defence Department computers
in 2010.
WikiLeaks responded
to the news of the superseding
indictment Thursday
in a tweet, saying:
"This is madness. It is
the end of national
security journalism
and the First Amendment."
Barry Pollack,
an attorney for Assange,
said : "These
unprecedented charges
demonstrate the
gravity of the threat
the criminal prosecution
of Julian
Assange poses to all
journalists in their
endeavour to inform
the public about actions
that have been
taken by the US government."
Meanwhile,
Assistant Attorney
General John
Demers, who heads
the department's national
security division,
said: "Julian
Assange is no journalist."
The Justice
Department's move
on Thursday came
within a window for
the US to submit its
formal request outlining
all legal charges that
Assange would face if he
was transferred to the US,
CNN reported.
It came also after a top
Swedish prosecutor said
earlier this month that
Sweden would re-open a
rape investigation into
Assange, which was suspended
in 2017. Assange
has denied any wrongdoing.
Hours after his removal
last month from
refuge in the Ecuadorian
Embassy in London,
the US indicted Assange
for helping Manning
access Defence Department
computers in 2010
in an effort to disclose
secret government documents.
Manning was found
guilty in 2013 of charges
including espionage for
leaking secret military
files to Wikileaks, but her
sentence was commuted.
She is currently back
in jail after refusing to
testify.
@narendramodi and the
NDA for their victory in
India’s election, and to the
Indian people for casting
their votes in such historic
numbers. As the world’s
largest exercise in democracy,
#India’s election is
an inspiration around the
world,” he said. During an
off-camera gaggle with reporters,
State Department
spokesperson Morgan
Ortagus said India’s elections
are the world’s largest
exercise in democracy,
a marvel of logistics and
planning with 900 million
people–an eighth of the
world’s population–eligible
to vote.
“We applaud the
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high turnout, estimated
at around 66 per cent or
roughly 600 million people,
and the government
of India for their excellent
execution of this incredible
event,” Ortagus said.
India, she said, is a
crucial partner for the US
in many areas, especially
counterterrorism. “We are
certainly underscoring today
a historic democratic
movement of at least 600
million people voting. I
think it is pretty amazing,”
Ortagus added.
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The International News Weekly May 24, 2019 | Toronto
05
Setting a new trend in Ethnic Radio
An hour long
English Language Newstalk
Radio Show
“Peel Matters”
Joe Horneck
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On 960 AM Sauga News Talk
Monday - Friday: 7 PM - 8 PM
Don’t forget to tune in !!

The International News Weekly Edit
May 24, 2019 | Toronto 06

The International News Weekly world
May 24, 2019 | Toronto
07
With thanks from times of India

The International News Weekly India
May 24, 2019 | Toronto 08
The
w w w . canadianparv asi. c o m
Publisher & CEO
Associate Editor
Editor (India)
Online
Graphic Designer
Official Photographer
Contact
Editorial
Sales
Rajinder Saini
Meenakshi Saini
Gursheesh
Kshitiz Dalal
Naveen
Bashir Nasir
editor@canadianparvasi.com
sales@canadianparvasi.com
TsuNamo Again
BJP landslide indicates some deep
structural shifts in Indian politics
If the 2014 Lok Sabha elections were marked by antiincumbency,
pro-incumbency was the keynote of the 2019
elections as BJP decimated the opposition. The BJP juggernaut
rolled across its bastions in the north and west
of the country – in bellwether state UP its voteshare shot
up from 42.6% in 2014 to 49.5%, negating the impact of SP,
BSP and RLD joining hands – while making significant
incursions into the south (Karnataka, Telangana) and
east (Bengal, Odisha). At last count BJP had wins/leads
in 303 seats and its allies in 48 seats, giving NDA a thumping
majority in the Lok Sabha.
What accounts for the shift from anti-incumbency in
2014 to proincumbency in 2019? It’s not as if the economy
has changed much. On the positive side inflation was
managed well during NDA’s first term (but faces upward
pressure now). On the negative side joblessness appears
to have grown more acute. One could attribute BJP’s
success to better administration of welfare schemes, the
Balakot strikes which retaliated against Pakistan’s sponsorship
of terror groups, and Prime Minister Narendra
Modi’s personal popularity. But while all these factors
may have played a role they do not, even in combination,
satisfactorily account for the magnitude of BJP’s sweeping
victory.
It’s possible some deep structural shifts are taking
place in the Indian polity. The so-called “secular” model
many other parties have followed is to work with conservative
Muslim clerics to secure the Muslim vote, and
then add on specific castes as each party’s USP, relying
on post-Mandal social engineering. Thus SP is the party
of Yadavs, BSP of Jatavs and so on. This model, however,
offers plenty of opportunity for countermobilisation. BJP
has moved into this vacuum swiftly and effectively. It
may have capitalised, for example, on the unseen backlash
to aggressive expansion of caste reservations, cementing
its support among upper castes with the EWS
quota. Hindu upper castes would comprise a solid bloc
that can neutralise the Muslim vote (which, in any case,
is split among several parties). Alongside, Modi also projects
a different kind of backward caste identity that’s
fluid, aspirational, upwardly mobile and less dependent
on specific caste networks. As smartphones spread and
cities expand, this style may appeal more to Hindu lower
castes. BJP alone has around 300 Lok Sabha seats which
gives it the power to override even its allies in the next
government. With great power, however, must come
great responsibility. The Indian polity is dynamic and
the voter can never be taken for granted. Now that BJP
has acquired enough confidence in government it must
utilise the first hundred days of its second tenure to
launch the transformative leap that the economy badly
needs – more so since global headwinds are growing –
even as it fully respects constitutional values in letter
and in spirit. BJP started on the right, reformist note in
2014 but veered off track following Congress accusations
of it being anti-poor, lurching later into radical socialist
experiments such as demonetisation.
“Factor” markets of land, labour and capital need
market-oriented reform for efficient allocation of resources;
so do agriculture and education. At the same time, the
state must step in and provide quality inputs where the
market cannot provide these (such as healthcare, basic
education). Unproductive subsidies must be cut, and the
autonomy of public institutions respected and expanded.
Such reforms, whose objective is to ramp up India’s global
competitiveness, may be painful at the beginning. But
BJP has the mandate and trust of the people, and must be
bold enough to push them through. A powerhouse economy
and its spinoff benefits will, in turn, yield a political
bonanza for BJP by the time the next general election
come round in 2024. TNN
Modi vs Modi: Time for unchallenged
leader to decide his legacy
Narendra Modi’s smashing victory has upended many rules of Indian politics.
RUCHIR SHARMA
AFor one, never before
has a party lost by a landslide
in state assembly elections,
then come back to win a
landslide victory in the same
state in the general election,
within six months. The BJP
achieved that feat in Chhattisgarh,
and also flipped Rajasthan
and Madhya Pradesh.
The only factor present in
the general election and not
in those state elections: Modi.
Travelling in Uttar
Pradesh during the campaign,
voters told us that
they were again lining up behind
traditional caste lines.
But when they entered the
booth, it appears, the nearly
100 million first-time voters
broke with tradition and cast
their ballots for Modi, choosing
the person over caste.
This is the new, young India.
They are mesmerised by
the image Modi projects, of
a decisive leader who works
18-20 hours a day, an unattached
man free of corrupting
family ties, a watchman
protecting the nation. National
elections are getting
more presidential, focussed
on the executive authority
embodied in one figure.
Modi now looms over
Delhi with no national rival.
The other parties have no
personality to match Modi.
Certainly not Rahul Gandhi.
On the campaign trail we
met many voters who said
they were for “Modi”, none
who said they were for “Rahul”.
The prime minister’s
second term will be Modi
versus Modi, a time for the
unchallenged leader to decide
his legacy.
To win this big Modi
grasped the lay of the land,
and recalibrated his message.
Though he had run
in the past as a champion
of development, Modi did
not crow about official data
showing that India is the fastest-growing
major economy
in the world. He sensed voter
fears that growth is not generating
enough jobs. Instead
of running on development
Modi ran on his decisive and
tough guy persona, his tireless
work ethic, his claim to
lifting India’s stature in the
world and stiffening its spine
in the recent clashes with
Pakistan. The latest World
Values Survey shows that
70% of Indians now favour
a strong leader who is not
tied down by Parliament and
elections. Modi offered himself
up as that man, and won
big. The question now is why
he would change in a second
term?
Because even the most
successful leaders put their
legacy at risk if they fail to
change. My studies of emerging
democracies cover more
than 100 elections going
back to 1980, and reveal that
just 19 leaders won a second
term. In their first terms,
the country’s stock market
significantly outperformed
the rest of emerging markets
on average, before flattening
out in the second term, when
leaders so often grow complacent.
In the United States this
tendency to stall after a reelection
victory is called “the
second term curse”. Noted
historian Michael Beschloss
has argued that no American
president in two centuries
has accomplished what he
set out to do in a second term.
Modi’s legacy will depend
in part on whether
he delivers on his original
promise of jobs and development.
By all independent
estimates the economy is
slowing faster than official
numbers suggest. Growth
in airport traffic is at a fiveyear
low. Growth in monthly
passenger vehicle sales is at
an eight-year low. Growth
in power generation is at a
15-year low. India is not generating
nearly the millions
of new jobs a year needed
to meet the demands of its
growing population.
Modi subtly acknowledged
that his task is unfinished,
appealing to voters on
the grounds that Congress
has ruled for 70 years, so he
deserves more than five. If
there is one thing Modi can
do to keep momentum in his
second term, it is to let loose
the reins of power. One man
can’t make every decision
for a nation of 1.3 billion. No
man is at his best with just
four hours of sleep and Modi
can’t remain in campaign
mode forever.
One way to refresh his
administration would be to
bring new voices into his
brain trust, reflecting the
complex fabric of Indian society,
including more voices
from the south, the regional
parties, private business
and technocrats. Modi has
come to embrace a populist’s
disdain for all elites, but having
more expertise in his inner
circle might have helped
prevent an experiment like
demonetisation. His core voters
were willing to forgive
this self-defeating move as
well-intentioned, but they
are unlikely to be so forgiving
of another big policy
mistake. Though Modi has
centralised decision-making
in Delhi, when he was chief
minister of Gujarat he would
tell us about the benefits of
giving chief ministers more
authority to run their own
states. He could begin by following
through on a commitment,
so far largely unmet, to
raise the share of central tax
revenue that is transferred to
the states. He could transfer
funds to the states with fewer
demands on how they must
be spent: it serves no one, for
example, to compel a state
like Kerala to administer national
literacy programmes
when its literacy rate is already
100%.
One-size-fits-all schemes
don’t work in a nation of 29
states, as different from one
another as the countries of
Europe. At last count the
number of central government
schemes had reached
more than 1,000. No politician
wants to take blame for
cuts, but that leaves many
district magistrates trying to
run more programmes than
is humanly possible. Better
to focus on fewer schemes
and deliver.
Modi already has a
model in the ODF campaign.
District magistrates attribute
its success of building
public toilets to strong backing
from the prime minister.
That focus, applied to fewer
schemes, could be more effective
than following the
populist template of launching
one scheme after another
to please every section of society.
It could also allow Modi
to revive his 2014 promise of
“minimum government”. In
his first term Modi proved
as statist as his predecessors,
with overzealous tax authorities
driving thousands
of millionaires out of the
country. But it is ironic that
a nationalist government
would target Indian business
as particularly dishonest,
when international surveys
show India is no more corrupt
than you would expect
of a country with a low per
capita income.
Instead, the government
might consider reducing
the regulatory obstacles
that force business people to
dodge the rules. In his first
term Modi also proved as
socialist as his predecessors,
doubling down on Congress
welfare programmes.
Many commentators see
this largesse as necessary to
meet voter demands in a lowincome
democracy. But it
was not only autocracies like
China that focussed first on
developing roads to promote
growth, so they could afford
cradle to grave welfare systems.
The United States and
other democracies also focussed
on development first,
and then built a welfare state,
after they had climbed out of
poverty.
Now that Modi has returned
to power, he is free
to recalibrate priorities, and
would be well advised to do
so. The second term curse
looms in the background.
And the latest election results
have altered the Indian
political landscape in such a
way that Modi has no challenger
but himself.
Source Credit: This article
was first published in The Times of
India. The writer is the author of
“Democracy on the Road”
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The International News Weekly india
May 24, 2019 | Toronto
09
Capt bucks national trend, 5 up in Punjab
Chandigarh : Withstanding
the BJP wave
across the country, the
Congress in Punjab bagged
eight of the 13 Lok Sabha
seats. In the 2014 elections,
too, the state had gone
against the national trend
in favour of the BJP and
voted for four Aam Aadmi
Party MPs and three of the
Congress.
The Congress has
wrested three AAP seats
and two of the four held by
the Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD).
The BJP retained its
share of two seats. However,
its Amritsar nominee
Hardeep Puri, Union
Minister of State, Housing
and Urban Affairs, was
trounced by Congress’
Gurjeet Singh Aujla by
nearly one lakh votes.
But for SAD chief Sukhbir
Badal and his wife Harsimrat
Kaur Badal, none of
the Akali candidates could
make it. Sukhbir registered
a huge win in Ferozepur.
He defeated Congress’
Sher Singh Ghubaya by
1.99 lakh votes. Harsimrat
retained the Bathinda seat,
defeating Congress’ Amrinder
Singh Raja Warring
by 21,000 votes.
As anticipated, film
star Sunny Deol wrested
the Gurdaspur seat, defeating
Punjab Congress chief
Sunil Jakhar, by more
than 77,000 votes. Chief
Minister’s wife Preneet
Kaur trounced SAD’s Surjit
Singh Rakhra by 1.62
lakh votes, and AAP state
chief Bhagwant Mann retained
the Sangrur seat.
He defeated Congress’
Kewal Dhillon by over a
lakh votes. He polled 4.12
lakh votes.
In Anandpur Sahib,
Congress’ Manish Tewari
wrested the seat from
SAD’s Prem Singh Chandumajra
with a margin of
over 46,000 votes.
In Jalandhar, Santokh
Singh Chaudhary of the
Congress defeated SAD’s
Charanjit Singh Atwal
by less than 20,000 votes.
Among the other Congress
winners were Jasbir Singh
Gill (Dimpa) from Khadoor
Sahib, Ravneet Singh Bittu
from Ludhiana, Amar
Singh from Fatehgarh
Sahib and Mohammad
Sadique from Faridkot.
Som Parkash of the BJP
won the Hoshiarpur (reserved)
seat.
Besides cornering the
Akalis on the sacrilege issue,
Capt Amarinder Singh
galvanised his entire team
of MLAs and top leaders to
go to their respective areas
and reach out to the voters.
Observers see Sukhbir
and Harsimrat’s victory as
the beginning of revival of
SAD fortunes.
Impressive win by SAD chief
SAD chief Sukhbir
Badal proved his might
by winning this seat with
a heavy margin of over
1,98,850 votes. Sukhbir
garnered 6,33,427 votes in
comparison to 4,34,577 secured
by his nearest rival
Sher Singh Ghubaya of the
Congress.
Ghubaya had won this
seat during the last two
terms in 2009 and 2014 as
SAD candidate with the
backing of the Rai Sikh
community.
On the losing spree
since 1985, the Congress
failed to break the jinx
even as it inducted Ghubaya
just ahead of the
elections and fielded him
despite opposition from
its leaders. No wonder, the
gamble failed to pay off due
to lack of support from its
cadre. Not only the Congress
tasted the defeat once
again, the margin of loss
is huge. Congress insiders
feel that lack of unity
among the party cadre is to
blame. With just two days
left in the polling, an old
warhorse of the Congress,
Bal Mukand Sharma, who
had represented Ferozepur
in Vidhan Sabha for five
terms, extended support to
Sukhbir.
Sukhbir got maximum
lead from Balluana
(41,620), followed by Jalalabad
(30,913) and Fazilka
(29,011). Sukhbir also managed
a lead of 26,429 from
Abohar, 16,542 Ferozepur
Rural, 8,277 Muktsar and
7,585 in Guruharsahai.
Ghubaya’s “poor performance”
during the
previous two terms in
Parliament and his apparent
“disconnect” with the
electorate also cost him
dear. On the other hand,
Sukhbir based his campaign
on issues relating
to development of the constituency.
Talking to the
media, Sukhbir said he
would deliver what he had
promised to the people of
Ferozepur.
Cong fails to break
jinx
On losing spree since 1985,
the Congress has failed to
break the jinx even as it inducted
Ghubaya just ahead
of the elections and fielded
him despite opposition
from its leaders. No wonder,
the gamble failed to
pay off due to lack of support
from its cadre.
Mann’s victory sole
face-saver for AAP
Chandigarh : The
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)
has managed to win just
a single seat in Punjab,
while it faced a huge defeat
in other parts of the
country, especially in Delhi,
where it lost all seven
seats. Against four seats in
the 2014 elections, the party
won just one this time.
Worse, the vote percentage
has come drastically down
from 26.7 per cent in 2014 to
only 7.4 per cent now.
Only AAP state chief
Bhagwant Mann lived up
to the expectations by getting
re-elected from the
Sangrur constituency.
Meanwhile, AAP candidates
in the remaining 12
seats lost their security
deposit by failing to get
even one-sixth of the valid
votes polled. Mann secured
4,13,561 votes while his
nearest rival Congress’ Kewal
Singh Dhillon bagged
3,03,350 votes and SAD got
2,63,498.
The AAP, it seems, to
have suffered much because
of infighting, leading
to two MPs and eight
MLAs leaving the party besides
several other leaders.
The party, however,
can take solace from the
fact that it still has presence
in the state and can
work on the political vacuum
for a third alternative.
Some of its candidates in
the Malwa belt, especially
Baljinder Kaur from Bathinda
affected the result by
cutting into the vote share
of the Akalis and Congress
candidates. Baljinder Kaur
polled 1,34,398 votes while
SAD’s Harsimrat Kaur
Badal won by a margin of
21,772 votes.
Moreover, the election
results have not been
favourable for rebel AAP
leaders like Sukhpal Khaira
and Master Baldev
Singh who resigned from
the party and formed a
new front. Khaira could
only get 38,199 votes from
Bathinda and Master
Baldev Singh polled 43,932
votes in Faridkot.
Jakhar undone by reel hero
Two ministers get PPCC chief lead in
their segments, Aruna fails
Gurdaspur : The charisma of film star
and BJP candidate Sunny Deol triumphed
over the experience and political sagacity of
three-time former MLA and Congress’Sunil
Jakhar with the former trouncing the PPCC
chief by more than 82,000 votes.
In fact, the moment the BJP announced
Deol’s candidature from this border constituency,
Jakhar was left staring at the spectre
of political irrelevance. Going by the massive
crowds that Deol, a greenhorn, pulled
at his roadshows coupled with the management
skills of former Punjab BJP chief Kamal
Sharma and Pathankot Mayor Anil Vasudeva,
his victory comes as no surprise.
While the BJP asked Vasudeva to coordinate
in the Hindu-dominated seats of Bhoa,
Pathankot, Sujanpur and Dinanagar, Sharma
was made the overall incharge of the constituency.
Considering that Jakhar had won
the 2017 bypoll by 1.93 lakh votes, there has
been a massive shift of 2.70 lakh votes from
the Congress to the BJP in just 18 months.
This constituency has three Congress
ministers. Two of them — Tripat Rajinder
Singh Bajwa and Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa
— performed exceedingly well, ensuring
for Jakhar a lead of 21,000 and 19,000 votes
from Fatehgarh Churian and Dera Baba
Nanak seats, respectively. Local leaders say
Bajwa has now become the No. 1 leader in
Gurdaspur district by managing such a big
lead against Deol.
The third minister, Aruna Chaudhury,
lost her home seat of Dinanagar by nearly
21,000 votes, which means 32,000 votes from
her vote bank shifted to the BJP. Observers
say this has put a question mark on her
future in view of the CM’s ultimatum that
“any minister who loses his or her seat will
have to resign”. Minutes after the final result
was announced, Capt Amarinder said action
would indeed be taken against the minister.
Of the nine seats, Deol led on seven. He
won the Hindu belt of Bhoa, Pathankot, Sujanpur
and Bhoa, each by over 20,000 votes.
For the Congress, the die was cast when Deol
filed his papers. Ministers and workers knew
it was an insurmountable task to match him
as word spread that he had been picked by
the PM and BJP chief and that they would
leave no stone unturned to ensure his win.
Barring Bajwa and Randhawa, all other
legislators failed to galvanise their workers.

The International News Weekly INDIA
May 24, 2019 | Toronto 10
The 2014 wave just got
bigger, bjp manages to
increase vote share
Rahul Chases Chowkidar,
Loses His Way
Continued from page 01
Riding on state victories, the Congress
leader prematurely concluded that he could
take on the PM in his own presidential style,
with Rafale and chowkidar as the war cry.
As many had suggested, focusing on “governance
failures” like rural distress, notebandi,
economy and unemployment would have
made Rahul look like he had an alternative
plan rather than just seeking Modi’s ouster.
Post-results, the challenges appear fundamental.
The no-holds barred, round-the-year Hindutva
campaign by BJP and its sister outfits
has made the ground fertile for polarisation.
And there is little doubt that the Pulwama
outrage and the Balakot air strikes helped
BJP bring its nationalistic discourse to centre
stage. Anti-Pakistan nationalism ties in
well with the Hindutva messaging, especially
since the rival had promised to review AF-
PSA and repeal the sedition law. Using these
openings, Modi has consistently ripped into
Congress, sidestepping any effort to put his
tenure under the lens.
So, how does Congress or the opposition
take on BJP in future? The task is compounded
by the possibility that the saffron leadership
would be tempted to see nationalism
and Hindutva as a shortcut to success.
It poses a dire threat to Congress and the
“secular” opposition, given the way they are
wired socially and politically. Not just Congress
but regional parties like Trinamool
and BJD in the east, out of the BJP’s arc of
influence, are also facing the heat.
Given the sweep of defeat, Rahul will face
queries about focusing so much on Modi and
Rafale that it eclipsed the basic message the
party went into the polls with.
When he first began to take an active interest
in Congress organisation, Rahul came
to be described by insiders as less tolerant
of dissenting views. That, many felt, denied
him from gaining from the experience of veterans.
He has since changed. But leaders say
he still needs to be more sensitive to the ideas
and opinions of others.
If in the final analysis the BJP leader
turned out to be more popular, then the feedback
Congress gathered on public mood, a
crucial input in designing the campaign,
would be under scrutiny —it was a team
handpicked by Rahul.
For Congress, the ‘dynasty’ is the mantra
of continuity as it keeps the leadership above
the fray. But then its strength is also dependent
on the ability of its leader. That puts
the onus of its revival on Rahul’s shoulders.
Will he be able to shake off the tag of being a
dynast and come into his own as an agent of
change?
The most demoralising for Congress is
its complete collapse in seven states where it
was in a direct contest with BJP. Together,
they account for 128 seats of which Congress
may win around four.
After losing a string of states post-2014,
Congress appeared to have turned the page
with its December victories. The Lok Sabha
cave-in reverses the gains and poses a big
question mark for the near future, starting
with as early as September when Haryana
and Maharashtra go to polls.
With thanks from times of India

The International News Weekly May 24, 2019 | Toronto
11
Smriti’s frequent
visits to Amethi
paid off, says BJP
With thanks from times of India
Union minister Smriti Irani who won Amethi by a margin
of over 45,000 votes, becoming the first from BJP to beat
a Congress president, described it as a victory of a dedicated
karyakarta over “those who look with condescension towards
society”. Amethi, a Congress stronghold since 1967,
was the launchpad for Rajiv Gandhi in 1981and Sonia in 1999;
earlier Sanjay Gandhi made his Lok Sabha debut from the
seat in 1980. This is the third time Amethi has elected a BJP
candidate though. Sanjay Sinh won as BJP candidate in 1998-
99 and Sanjay Gandhi lost to Janata Party’s Ravindra Pratap
Singh in 1977. Rahul is the second Gandhi to lose from Amethi.
Many in BJP on Thursday said it was Irani’s persistence
and repeated visits to ensure development work in Amethi
that swayed voters.
Analyst JP Shukla said, “Smriti made the best use of
Rahul’s absence in her ‘Lapata Saansad’ campaign. She also
took advantage of Rahul’s decision to contest from two seats
and called him ‘bhagoda saansad’.” In the build-up, Smriti
stayed in a rented house in Gauriganj. Between 2014 and
2019, she made visits to distribute saris, shoes, clothes and
textbooks in villages. Her big moment came in March 2019
when PM Narendra Modi came to Amethi to lay the foundation
of an AK-47 rifle factory. Disenchantment of young voters
with Gandhis is believed to have impacted the verdict.
“Elders still feel for Indira, Rajiv and Sonia, but the youth
doesn’t care for the so-called charisma of Rahul and Priyanka,”
said S K Barnwal, a local businessman. Congratulating
Smriti, Rahul said: “Main unse yahi kahunga ki woh pyaar
se Amethi ki dekhbhaal karein… ”

The International News Weekly May 24, 2019 | Toronto 12
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