06/04/2012
The Hindu: “Agitating jewellers and bullion traders on Friday called on Congress president Sonia Gandhito press for their demand for
removal of excise duty on unbranded jewellery. “We today met Sonia Gandhi and requested her to tell the government to roll back excise duty on unbranded jewellery, reduce customs duty and lower TDS on sale of jewellery,” All India Swarankar Sangh President Madhukar Chachad told reporters after the meeting. Ms. Gandhi, he said, “has assured us that she will forward our demands to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for further action”.
Ahead of the meeting of jewellers with Ms. Gandhi, the Congress had asked the government to look into the demands of jewellers, who have been agitating for more than a fortnight. “Congress has asked the government to consider the demand of jewellers sympathetically,” AICC General Secretary and media department chief Janardhan Dwivedi said. Bullion traders and jewellers are protesting since the presentation of the Budget which had imposed excise duty on unbranded jewellery, raised customs duty on gold and proposed TDS requirement on sale of on sale of jewellery.”
via The Hindu : News / National : Jewellers meet Sonia, demand duty roll back.
The purpose of the excise duty is to try and divert Indians from investing in ‘economically inactive’ gold into ‘proactive investiments’ such as stocks and shares or even property. If this works, India will stop being the world’s number 1 importer of gold and China will become number 1.
Posted in China alert, Economics, India alert, Investment in tangibles |
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03/04/2012
Chess Set (Shatranj in Iranian), glazed fritware, 12th century. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I have a hypothesis that a country’s mindset mimics its national sports and games.
For instance, the Chinese and Japanese are keen on chess and Go. These are games of strategy and take a long-term view. Indians say they invented chess. In any case they do play it well. Perhaps not as good as the Russians. Wonder why the Russians lost the ‘cold war’?
The British play soccer – a very dynamic game, but also cricket which is one of strategy and patience. These games may explain the divergent behaviour of the British – colonial conqueror and commonwealth sustainer?
Americans love their football and baseball. Both are what I call start and stop games. You play a set of tactics and then regroup. I wonder if that explains the lack of clear success in wars like Iraq and Afghanistan?
The Middle East used to play a game from which polo was derived. Their game involved riding on horses and trying to capture and throw the head of a goat (or in medieval times, the head of a defeated enemy) into the opponents’ goal. Individual courage and devil-may-care ruled the tactics. Perhaps that means the West will never ‘win’ in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Don’t forget that Iran has both Middle East roots and also claim to have invented chess. The term ‘check mate’ comes from ‘shah mat‘ meaning the king is dead in Farsi.
What do you think of my hypothesis? What are India’s national games? Kabaddi? Hockey? Cricket? How do these explain the Indian mindset?
See also:
Posted in China alert, Chindia Alert, India alert |
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30/03/2012
Times of India: “China has committed to facilitating Indian exports into Chinese markets to address the yawning trade imbalance 
between the two countries. Chinese president Hu Jintao said this to Manmohan Singh in his hour-long meeting with the PM at the end of the BRICS summit on Thursday. This will be Hu’s last summit as Chinese president.
In return, the PM invited Chinese investment in manufacturing and infrastructure projects in India. Chinese companies are kept out of several strategic sectors, but there is a significant change in the Indian government’s approach to Chinese investment.
With the two leaders kicking off a year of friendship celebrations, the overwhelming sense from the meeting was that the two nations are determined to get along, despite many difficulties and differences of outlook. Singh and Hu announced “expanded” foreign office consultations, and launched three new dialogues with China – on West Asia, Central Asia and Africa. India and China pursue markedly different policies in Africa, though with the same stated aims.”
via More Chinese investments in India soon – The Times of India.
Related page:
In the 50s, PM Nehru and PM Chou met and agreed Panchsheel, the five principles of peaceful coexistence. The press coined a phrase Hindi Chini bhai bhai, meaning Indians and Chinese are brothers. It looked like the slogan was reflecting reality until in the late summer of 1962, due to the long-standing border dispute (legacy of British Raj) Chinese tanks rolled over the Himalyas and reached the oil fields of Assam in the East and also in Ladakh in the west. Since then matters have thawed. BRIC (and now BRICS) was invented. This news release is good news, at least for India and China.
Posted in China alert, Chindia Alert, Diplomacy, Economics, GeoPolitics, Good news, India alert |
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29/03/2012
Times of India: “Seeking to reinforce their growing economic heft with diplomatic clout, the BRICS grouping Thursday pitched for 
a bigger say in global governance institutions, including the UN and the IMF, and told the West that dialogue was the only way to resolve the Iranian nuclear issue and the Syria crisis.
Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, which comprise nearly half the world’s population and a growing share of global GDP, signed two pacts to spur trade in their local currencies. They also agreed to set up a working group for a joint development bank to promote mutual investment in infrastructure.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India and Presidents Hu Jintao China, Dmitry Medvedev Russia, Dilma Rousseff Brazil and Jacob Zuma South Africa ended the fourth BRICS summit by renewing the pitch for reforming global governance institutions and closer coordination on global issues.The five leaders stressed on the restructuring of the world order to accommodate emerging economies and developing countries and for promoting sustained and balanced global economic growth.”
via BRICS to set up joint bank, call for dialogue on Iran & Syria – The Times of India.
Posted in China alert, Economics, GeoPolitics, India alert, Reform |
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28/03/2012
The Hindu: “Chinese President Hu Jintao arrived in New Delhi Wednesday on a two-day visit to participate in the BRICSsummit
BRICS summit participants: Prime Minister of India Manmohan Singh, President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, President of China Hu Jintao, President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff, President of South Africa Jacob Zuma. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
and to hold wide-ranging bilateral talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.The Chinese President is accompanied by a high-profile delegation comprising Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, State Councillor Dai Bingguo, senior ministers and business leaders.
Mr. Hu will meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Wednesday before participating in the BRICS summit on Thursday. Mr. Hu, along with the presidents of Russia, Brazil and South Africa, will attend a banquet hosted by President Pratibha Patil in the evening.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with the Chinese President on Thursday, on various issues including bridging the trade deficit and fast-tracking the new confidence-building measures. The two leaders are expected to declare 2012 as the year of India-China friendship and unveil initiatives to bolster cultural exchanges and people-to-people contacts.
India is expected is to raise the issue of huge imbalance in bilateral trade which has exceeded $70 billion, with the surplus heavily in China’s favour.”
via The Hindu : News / National : Hu arrives in Delhi ahead of BRICS summit.
Posted in China alert, Chindia Alert, GeoPolitics, India alert |
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26/03/2012
Times of India: “The government on Monday ordered a CBI inquiry into the allegation made by Army chief Gen V K Singh that he was offered a Rs 14 crore bribe by a lobbyist. A CBI probe was ordered by defence minister A K Antony in the wake of the Army
chiefs allegation, defence ministry officials said.
Earlier, both houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2pm after the opposition MPs created a ruckus over the disclosures made by the Army chief. Terming Gen Singhs allegations as “serious”, Antony told reporters outside Parliament, “We have to handle it…I have taken action.” When asked if the Army chief had informed him about the bribe offer, he said, “Parliament is in session.”
In an interview to a newspaper, the Army chief alleged that an equipment lobbyist offered him a bribe of Rs 14 crore, which he had reported to the Defence Minister. He said the lobbyist offered him the bribe in order to have a tranche of 600 sub-standard vehicles of a particular make cleared for purchase. “Just imagine, one of these men had the gumption to walk up to me and tell me that if I cleared the tranche, he would give me Rs 14 crore. He was offering a bribe to me, to the Army chief. He told me that people had taken money before me and they will take money after me,” Gen Singh said.”
via Govt orders CBI probe into allegation of bribe by Army chief – The Times of India.
Wow, bribery at the highest levels!
Related page: https://chindia-alert.org/china-2011-roundup/india-2011-roundup/
Posted in corruption, India alert |
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24/03/2012
The Hindu: “Even as the political parties failed to arrive at a consensus on the Lokpal Bill at a meeting convened by Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh here on Friday, social activist Anna Hazare urged the government to withdraw, what he said “was a useless Bill that was too weak to effectively tackle corruption.”
Indicating his intention to launch a bigger anti-corruption agitation than last year if the government did not bring in a strong Lokpal Bill, Mr. Hazare said: “Today, there was an all-party meeting, but no decision was taken because of the failure of the parties to arrive at a consensus. Now, we think whether the government brings Jan Lokpal [formulated by India Against Corruption] or not, we will go to the people’s Parliament.”
Charging the government with “betrayal,” Mr. Hazare said the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had gone back on several assurances. He added that the proper thing would have been to discuss all versions of the Bill, including a comprehensive and effective Jan Lokpal in the all-party meeting.”
via The Hindu : News / National : Anna Hazare demands withdrawal of UPAs Lokpal Bill.
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Posted in corruption, India alert |
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24/03/2012
Times of India: “The Odisha government and Maoist-named interlocutors suspended their talks on Saturday after the extremists
abducted Laxmipur legislator Jhina Hikaka late Friday night. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik also sent revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro and SC and ST development minister Lal Bihari Himirika to Koraput from where Hikaka, a 37-year-old tribal MLA of the ruling BJD, was abducted while returning home along with his driver Ugrasen Jambeka and personal security officer PSO Gokula Kandhapan. The ministers will explore back channel possibilities to release Hikaka, official sources said.”
via Govt, mediators suspend talks after Maoists kidnap BJD MLA – The Times of India.
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23/03/2012
Times of India: “Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said that the United Progressive Alliance UPA government is committed to an effective Lokpal to check corruption. “Our government stands committed to an effective Lokpal legislation,” 
Manmohan Singh said at an all-party meeting on the Lokpal bill with Rajya Sabha members. “We look forward to benefiting from the wisdom and guidance of all leaders present here in the task that we have set for ourselves,” he said.
The Lokpal bill could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha during the winter session last year due to opposition moving a number of amendments and the government insisting that it needed time to study them. The bill could not be put to vote even after hours of debate on the last day of the winter session.
The opposition had charged the government with shying away from a vote.”
via Government committed to an effective Lokpal: Manmohan Singh – The Times of India.
The Lokpal (People’s Ombudsman) is the embodiment of the efforts of anti-corruption activist Shri Anna. Its protracted delay is causing not only the opposition but the person in the street to doubt the sincerity of the government in enacting the bill.
Posted in corruption, India alert |
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22/03/2012
BBC News: “There was outrage in India’s parliament after a draft report by government auditors estimated India lost $210bn by selling coalfields too cheaply. Opposition politicians accused the government of “looting the country” by selling coalfields to
companies without competitive bidding. Private and state companies benefited from the allocations between 2004 and 2010, says a Times of India report. …
… the Times of India, quoting the CAG draft, says the $210bn (£133bn) figure is a “conservative estimate, since it takes into account prices for the lowest grade of coal and not the median grade”.
India is one of the largest producers of coal in the world.
This is just the latest in a series of financial scandals to hit the Congress-led government and the revelations caused such anger among opposition politicians that both houses of parliament had to be temporarily adjourned.”
via BBC News – Outrage over report that India lost $210bn in coal scam.
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CHINDIA ALERT: You'll be living in their world, very soon 