Page 50 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018
P. 50

politics                                                                                                  foreign relations







                 yed Mukhtar       BJP is true well-wisher                           ing the instant triple talaq Bill.          rime Minister Nar-                                                 • Camera friendly Modi’s Canadian
                 Abbas Naqvi,                                                        He said their act of stalling the           endra Modi finally                                                 counterpart Trudeau is equally
                 Union Minister for                                                  Bill was injustice to Muslim                formally received                                                  camera friendly
                 Minority Affairs,       of MusliMs: Naqvi                           women who had been strug-                   Canadian PM Justin
         Shas a way with                                                             gling for their rights against  PTrudeau in New
         words. Coupled with an ami-  Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar    all odds.                           Delhi at the fag end of his tour.                                          because scores of its sons and
         cable disposition, soft spoken                                                The minister claimed that         Trudeau, who had arrived in                                                daughters occupy high policy-
         Naqvi succeeds in using these   Abbas Naqvi discusses the contentious issue of the   his government is looking   India along with his family,                                              making positions in Canada.
         impressive personality traits   ruling-BJP’s outlook towards the Muslim     at the larger picture and           had spent the last few days                                                The Canadian PM was
         to his advantage and tides        community with  Kulsum mustafa            wants to educate and skill the      visiting Agra, Ahmedabad,                                                  welcomed warmly at Darbar
         over many a difficult situation                                             Muslim youth so that they can       Amritsar and Mumbai. Before                                                Sahib, Amritsar. He joined the
         that he, a Muslim minister                                                  come to the mainstream. He          his return, Trudeau was ac-                                                growing list of Heads of State
         belonging to a pro-Hindutva                                                 talked about all government         corded a ceremonial welcome                                                who have made the Golden
         party, has to face everyday in                                              policies and schemes for the        at the Rashtrapati Bhavan                                                  Temple an important part of
         his official capacity.                                                      benefit of minorities like Nai      where he inspected a guard                                                 their itinerary while visiting
           Shunned by those in his                                                   Roshni — a leadership scheme        of honour and met Indian                                                   India.
         community who feel he has                                                   for women, Seekho Aur Kamao,        officials. He also held bilateral                                            For stronger relations in
         sold his conscience to the                                                  Hamari Dharohar scheme to           talks with Modi.                                                           key fields, Modi and Trudeau
         devil, the man, whose wife is                                               preserve the rich heritage of         The Canadian premier’s                                                   need to fight out terrorism
         Hindu, seems to care lit-                                                   minority communities. He            perceived closeness to   Trudeau Trip: Cold vibes                          jointly. A slew of documents
         tle for such sentiments. He                                                 claimed that 2,851 minority         pro-Khalistani elements in                                                 were signed in presence of
         wears and flaunts the saffron                                               students have availed of Pad-       Canada continued to haunt    geT warm in The end                           the Prime Ministers. Modi
         scarf with pride, participates                                              ho Pradesh that offers 100 per      his visit. Sikhs numbering less                                            stressed that terrorism and
         enthusiastically in all Hindu                                               cent interest subsidy on loans      than half a million, form the                                              extremism were a threat
         rituals — offering milk to the                                              for the minority community.         largest ethnic group among                                                 to multi-faceted countries
         Shiva linga on Shivratri, play-                                               The minister also talked          Indian-origin Canadians.   With charm offensive, Canadian PM manages to    like India and Canada, while
         ing Holi and attending pujas.                                               about the ‘GST facilitator’         Modi routinely lands up at   woo Modi and others in India, writes Bharat hiteshi  Trudeau said his country
           Speaking exclusively to                                                   and ‘sanitary supervisor’           the airport to receive world                                               supported pluralism and
         Tehelka, the Union minister                                                 short term certificate courses      dignitaries. From the moment                                               diversity. Terrorism and
         justified the BJP government’s                                              which have opened avenues           a world leader sets foot on   visuals at India’s famous    Prime Minister   extremism are threat to both
         decision to end the Haj sub-                                                for Muslim youth and gener-         Indian soil, the PM is there   mausoleum of love. Modi                     India and Canada, the Prime
         sidy, terming it as “the right                                              ated employment for them.           to greet him or her with the   often likes to take visiting   Modi and     Minister said.
         move towards empowering                                                     Urging the minority youth to        famous “Modi hug”.       dignitaries to Ahmedabad in   Trudeau finally       The National Security
         minorities”.                                                                come forward and empower              Modi’s Canadian coun-  Gujarat, his home state.                          Advisers of both the nations
           “The subsidy never really   The minister also had his   • Justifying move Naqvi justifies the   themselves, the minister said   terpart Trudeau is equally   Many good visuals have    met and held   have already met. The two
         benefitted Muslims. It was   defense ready when ques-  BJP government’s decision to end   the youth is the future and so   camera friendly. When they   been produced in Gujarat   extensive talks,   leaders held bilateral discus-
         just an additional burden for   tioned why the subsidy was   the Haj subsidy  much can change if youths         landed in New Delhi on    with Modi showing world                          sions at Hyderabad House.
         which the Congress made   ended four years before the                       takes initiatives.                  February 17, the Trudeaus   leaders around Mahatma   exploring ways        India and Canada exchanged
         Muslims feel indebted,” he   Supreme Court deadline of                        Naqvi claims that the BJP         came out of the plane with   Gandhi’s Sabarmati Ashram   to boost ties     files on information technol-
         said. The subsidy was in fact   2022. “Why should Muslims   the minority to lead a life of   is a true well-wisher of   folded hands, offering the   or just taking them around            ogy and science cooperation.
         being reduced each year.   hang on to something that   dignity and walk boldly in the  Muslims and is working   traditional Indian greeting   the city. But the Trudeaus had   in several key   Terms of References between
         While in 2016 it was  420   is not helping or benefitting   mainstream,” said Naqvi  towards bringing them to the   namaste. But Modi wasn’t   to go alone to Gujarat, where               the oil and gas ministry of
         crores, in 2017 it had been   them in anyway?”, he asked.   Defending the government  mainstream through various   there to receive them. Instead,  they wore ethnic Indian   areas, including   India and Canadian ministry
         reduced to  225 crores. The   However, the minister as-  expenditure on Hindu reli-  government schemes which,    he had sent his junior min-  clothes to visit a temple and   trade and energy  of natural resources were also
         number of pilgrims, however,  sured that the subsidy money   gious pilgrimages like Mansa-  he asserts, aim at socio-eco-  ister for agriculture. The PM   Gandhi’s abode.                 signed. Also, agreements were
         has been on the rise each year. will from now be used for the   rovar, Kumbh and Amarnath   nomic educational empow-  himself remained busy cam-  There seemed to be no                    reached on nuclear science
           Naqvi added that the BJP   benefit of the minority com-  yatra in the name of security   erment of all. These policies,   paigning for a state election    end to the Indian snubbing   of permanent diplomatic   and Intellectual Property
         must be credited for tak-  munity and will be diverted   and safety and for provid-  he says, cater chiefly to the   in the South.       of the Canadians, even as the   cussedness. No Punjab CM   Rights between India and
         ing the burden of guilt from   to education, especially of   ing basic amenities, Naqvi   poor and weaker sections of   Then Trudeaus went to see   Trudeau tried their best to dis- can afford to burn bridges   Canada. External Affairs
         Muslims, which is leading   minority girl students. He   said that it was not proper to   minority communities and   the Taj Mahal in Agra, where   arm the Indians with a charm  with a country that has given   Minister Sushma Swaraj too
         them to the right path. “From   bemoaned the fact that the   compare the Haj subsidy to   will lead to true development   they were welcomed not by   offensive. It was just    an open-hearted welcome   called on the Canadian Prime
         appeasement it is now em-  drop out rate for females   the government expenditure   with dignity for the minority   the chief minister, not even a   as well that Punjab Chief    to generations of Punjabis   Minister and discussed vari-
         powerment, a life of dignity,   among Muslims is as high as   on these pilgrimages. He   communities.           junior minister, but by district  Minister; Capt. Amarinder   escaping the home state’s lack  ous issues of mutual interest.
         free from any favors,” he told   90 per cent. “Education and   also came down heavily on                        officials. Still, the Trudeaus   Singh abandoned his sulk    of meritocracy and employ-
         this correspondent.      education alone is the tool for  Congress and its role in stall-  letters@tehelka.com  managed to make memorable  that was taking the shape   ment opportunities. More so,   letters@tehelka.com



                                        Tehelka / 15 march 2018  50  www.Tehelka.com                                                                    Tehelka / 15 march 2018  51  www.Tehelka.com



   50 Kulsum.indd   3                                                                                 27/02/18   5:33 PM  51 Bharat Hiteshi.indd   3                                                                 27/02/18   5:06 PM
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