Following Prime Minister Modi’s interview with Rahul Joshi, one can now expect even more op-eds, in the near future, critiquing the Prime Minister from the “Lutyens” group.
Narendra Modi’s victory in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and his taking over the role of Prime Minister dismayed a small elite group of Indians who have spent more than a decade portraying him in a negative light. This section, often termed as “The Lutyens” group, always presented Modi as an outsider to “national politics” and “Indian Ethos” in their narrative. For long it has been stated that the Prime Minister is not on good terms with “The Lutyens” cluster.
So, unsurprisingly, when Prime Minister Modi sat down with Network 18 Group Editor Rahul Joshi for an expansive interview, his relation with “The Lutyens” group came up:
Question: Mr Prime Minister, it’s being said that Lutyens Delhi did not like you. But have you started liking Delhi?
Narendra Modi: As you know, the position of Prime Minister is such that there’s no question of liking or disliking Lutyens Delhi. But there’s is a need to deliberate on this. In Delhi’s power corridors, there’s an active group of people which is dedicated to only a few. It could be because of their own reasons or personal gains. It’s not a question of Modi. Look back at history. What happened with Sardar Patel? This group presented Sardar Patel as a simple person from a village with a simple intellect.
Look at what happened to Morarji Desai. This same group never talked about his abilities, achievements. It always talked about what he drank. What happened with Deve Gowda? A farmer’s son became the PM, yet they said he only sleeps. And what happened with the supremely talented Ambedkar who they are praising today? They made fun of him. What happened with Chaudhury Charan Singh? They again made fun of him. So I’m not surprised when they make fun of me. These custodians who are dedicated to a select few will never accept anyone who is linked to the roots of this country. So, I too, do not want to waste my time addressing this group. The welfare of the billion people is my biggest task and I will not lose anything if I do not associate myself with Lutyens Delhi. It’s better if I live with the poor people of this country who are like me.
In the aforementioned answer, the Prime Minister openly countered the “Lutyens” narrative with a historical perspective that is in contrast with the usual praises reserved for the Nehru-Gandhi family— he mentioned the other iconic figures of the nation specifically those belonging to the OBC-Dalit groups like Sardar Patel, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Chaudhury Charan Singh.
Simultaneously, the Prime Minister expressed his disinterest in cosying up to the said group. Following this interview, one can now expect even more op-eds, in the near future, critiquing the Prime Minister from the “Lutyens” group.
Watch full interview (1:19:55)
PM Modi’s interview to Network 18
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbApseW16mY
http://swarajyamag.com/politics/why-pm-modi-does-not-want-to-associate-himself-with-lutyens-delhi
-Ashok Wadhwa
IT IS NOW OR NEVER
The armed forces have upped the ante in their ongoing struggle for resolution of "core anomalies" in their salary packages by asking the Centre to keep in "abeyance" the implementation of the 7th Central Pay Commission (CPC) for them.
In an embarrassment to the Modi government, the armed forces have rejected the salary and emoluments recommended by the Seventh Central Pay Commission, pleading that its implementation be put on hold in view of the “unresolved anomalies” that lowered the status of the forces vis-à-vis their counterparts in the police and the civil administration.
The Ministry of Defence had issued the notification on September 6 after taking into account a letter by the three services chiefs on the issue of pay parity, among other things. This notification was exclusively for the forces.
In the past 24 hours, the Army, the Navy and the Air Force have issued separate letters to inform senior commanders and the troops about the decision of the top brass.
The Chiefs of Staff Committee had met on September 7 to discuss the issue. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is expected to take a decision on the matter on Monday.
Earlier, the notification for enhanced pay for the forces had been held up as the issues raised by the three services were being studied.
The main “anomaly” is that the formula adopted for determining the basic pay for the armed forces is different from the one for other Central government employees. As a result, in each rank the service officers have been awarded lower pay scales.
In March, the MoD had told an empowered panel that the status, pay and allowances of the armed forces be kept above the other “fighting” arms of the government
UNBRIDGEABLE MISTRUST
AN AVERAGE MEMBER OF FAUJI FRATERNITY NO LONGER TRUSTS THE GOVERNANCE OF THOSE IN POWER
IT IS TIME FOR THE POWERS WHO HAPPENS TO BE IN REIN TO PONDER OVER
Kautilya discretely but firmly reminded the king that his safety and security as well as of his empire depend on the trust and sacrifice of his soldiers.
“In effect, military officers, who were earlier equated a notch above with the IPS,IFS, Indian Forest services & IAS, have been reduced to the level of the paramilitary ( in fact with HOME GUARDS " said another officer.