India and the World

Nepal quake: India goes all out to help and heal quake-struck neighbour

- by India Writes Network

In the unfolding aftermath of the April 25 earthquake, the worst to hit Nepal in 80 years and one of the worst in all of South Asia, India has left no stone unturned to come to the rescue of its Himalayan neighbour and strategic partner.
India was the first nation to respond, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi convening a disaster response meeting in within hours of the quake.
“Nepal’s pain is our pain,” said Modi, “I have spoken to their prime minister and president and assured them that this country of 125 crore is with you.” keeping up the spirit of cooperation that was rekindled during Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Nepal in August last year.
Mr Modi has already spoken with about a dozen state chief ministers immediately after the earthquake.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament on April 27 that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “knew of the incident before me and took swift action.” “Just five minutes before the earthquake, I was with the PM. He later called me about the earthquake and said there would be a meeting at 3 pm. The quick response that should have been shown by me as home minister was shown by the PM,” Mr Singh said in a statement in the Lok Sabha on the disaster that has killed over 3,700.
Distressing times are indeed true tests of friendship. And India is more than ready to do its best as the countries are intimately bound up with fraternal and cultural ties and their joys and sorrows interlinked.

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All eyes in Vietnam on Modi’s China visit, South China Sea

- by Manish Chand

HANOI: The Delhi-Hanoi maritime bonding is set to get stronger in days to come. Vietnam, the emerging dynamo of the Southeast Asia region, is closely watching the forthcoming visit of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China and is expecting that the Indian leader will pitch for peace and stability in South China Sea, the site of conflicting territorial claims.
Vietnam has faced the brunt of the perceived Chinese assertiveness in South China Sea and has looked up to India, with its rising stature and formidable naval apparatus, as an anchor of stability in the maritime domain in the region.
“The Indian government has shown increased interest in protecting sea lanes of communication. We expect India will continue to support Vietnam and help it to cope up with instability in South China Sea,” Mr Le Van Nghiem, Director General, Directorate of External Information, told a group of visiting Indian journalists in the balmy Vietnamese capital.
“Many countries are reluctant to take up the issue with China. If India raises its voice (on South China Sea with Vietnam), it would be beneficial for both India and Vietnam and the region,” the Vietnamese official said. He was responding to a question by this writer on whether Vietnam expected Prime Minister Modi to take up the issue of South China Sea during his talks with the Chinese president next month.
Under Prime Minster Modi’s watch, Vietnam has emerged as a key pillar of India’s Act East policy, with a string of high-profile two-way visits seen in the last few months. Signalling the intent for closer strategic embrace, India rolled out the red for Vietnam’s prime minister in October 2014, a little over a month after President Pranab Mukherjee’s substantive visit to Vietnam.

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Modi assures India will wipe Nepal’s tears, hold hands

- by India Writes Network

With Nepal descending deeper into a full-blown crisis and a potential humanitarian catastrophe in the wake of the massive earthquake, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured that India will wipe the tears of every person in Nepal as his government has gone full steam to fast-track rescue, relief and rehabilitation for the quake victims.

“For 1.25 billion Indians, Nepal is their own country and India will make all efforts to wipe the tears of every person in Nepal, hold their hands and stand with them,” Mr Modi said his monthly radio address to the nation, entitled “Mann ki Baat.” He also spoke extensively about the recent calamities, including the storm in Bihar and the crisis in the war-torn Yemen.

The prime minister also recalled the Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat on January 2001, which killed nearly 20,000 people, and added stressed that the recent earthquake with its epicenter in Nepal has shaken the whole world.

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Nepal quake: Death toll exceeds 3218, India steps up rescue efforts

- by India Writes Network

The most devastating earthquake to hit Nepal in 81 years has unleashed an unending trail of death, destruction and trauma, with the death toll climbing up to over 3,218 and more than 6,500 people injured.
On April 26 afternoon, another powerful tremor measuring 6.7 magnitude, according to US Geological Survey (USGS), rocked Nepal, leaving its quake-residents reeling and without respite from continuing aftershocks of varying intensity.
The Nepalese government has declared emergency in affected areas and announced a relief package of Rs 500 million. The Himalayan country has also appealed to India and China as well as other governments for help in relief and rehabilitation.
India has been prompt to respond within minutes of the quake and has firmed up a multi-pronged rescue operation to help the fraternal neighbouring country, also home to a large Indian diaspora.
A C17 aircraft, sent by India, with 225 Indians on board, touched down in New Delhi from Kathmandu.
“Our immediate focus is on rescue and relief. We are also examining land route for evacuating of Indians,” India’s Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar told reporters in New Delhi on April 26.

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India rallies behind quake-hit Nepal, relief aircraft on the way

- by India Writes Network

Within hours of a massive 7.9 Richter earthquake hitting central Nepal, India has promptly rallied behind the neighbouring country, home to a large Indian community. Hours after the quake struck, which also impacted swathes of northern India unleashing mayhem and destruction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Nepal’s President Ram Baran Yadav and Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and assured them of all support and assistance.
Coming through on these assurances, India has sent two IAF planes carrying relief material to Nepal, following which a C-130J Super-Hercules aircraft of the IAF left Hindon airforce base at 3.45 pm for Kathmandu, with an NDRF team onboard.
After dropping the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team, C-130J will perform aerial reconnaissance to check road communication to Pokhara, the resort town which is the epicenter of the quake, and return to Hindon. Additionally, five teams are waiting to depart from Hindon and four more from Bhatinda. The Defence ministry has issued standby orders to the Indian Army and Border Roads Organization as well. The Eeternal affairs ministry has opened a 24-hour Control Room for queries.
These steps were decided at an emergency meeting of the national crisis management committee, headed by the cabinet secretary, convened in the presence of Mr Modi at 3.00 pm on April 25. The prime minister was earlier scheduled to inaugurate the National Intelligence Academy in New Delhi at this time. nepalkkk

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Saluting Indian heroes of World War I: But, why forget freedom fighters

- by India Writes Network

The centenary of World War-1 (1914-18) is being celebrated through a series of series of events in erstwhile colonies of the allied powers. India, too, has planned to celebrate the centenary of World War I through full four years with a sense of pride that its soldiers participated in expeditions to defend the British Empire. The call to participate in the war effort was given by no less than Mahatma Gandhi and Bal GangadharTilak, iconic freedom fighters, with the hope that the colonial rulers would grant home rule under Dominion Status after success in the war. Gandhi said: “If we would improve our status through the help and cooperation of the British, it is our duty to win their help by standing by them in their hour of need.”

While scholars in India and across the world are being encouraged to collect evidence of the participation of Indian forces, little is being done to bring to light the Indian nationalist anti-colonial movement that began in the heart of Europe during the same period. Indian nationalist revolutionary, VirendranathChattopadhyaya (affectionately called Chatto), led the network of Indian activists scattered across Europe, with Germany as the focal centre for their propaganda against the British Empire. The Indian activists received financial and diplomatic assistance from the then Kaiser-ruled Germany. The reciprocity between these Indian activists and Germany was an arrangement based on a mutual understanding to disturb the British war efforts. The Indian emigrants, therefore, had the chance for mobilising the anti-colonial struggle.Prime Minister Modi should have taken up this issue with Chancellor Angela Merkel when he recently visited Germany.

netaiSimilarly he should take up this with Russian President Putin. Russia has several documents relating to the activities of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose during World War II.

Prime Minister Modi, during his recent visit to Australia, signed an agreement to jointly celebrate the centenary of the World War I in which Australian and New Zealand forces alongwith Indian forces, fought the Turkish army in Gallipoli peninsula and also the German forces in the Pacific Ocean. True, we should be proud of our soldiers who valiantly fought the war and the 11 received the highest honour – Victoria Cross – and other awards. Around 75,000 Indian soldiers laid down their lives.

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Post nuclear-deal Iran: The next emerging market?

- by India Writes Network

This day, 35 years ago, saw a failed top-secret attempt by the United States to free American hostages held in Iran’s capital, Tehran.

Leaving behind those war-mongering days, the United States and Iran have now reached an extremely interesting phase in their otherwise tempestuous relationship.

With the landmark nuclear deal expected to fructify on June 30, geo-political dynamics in the region are never going to be the same again. This will in turn have a ripple effect on the geo-economics of the region and the world. With gradual lifting of sanctions on Iran, the reopening of Middle East’s second largest economy will provide a market that has been out of reach to varying extents since the 1979 Islamic revolution, with sanctions becoming broader since 1995 and expanded further since 2005.

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Massive earthquake hits Nepal, shocks felt in Delhi

- by India Writes Network

A devastating earthquake of magnitude 7.9 has hit central Nepal and parts of Northern India at 11.41 a.m. Its reverberations are being felt even now all over Nepal and parts of India as far as Indi’s capital Delhi.

The United States Geological Survey had previously rated the tremblor at 7.5 magnitude but has since updated it at 7.9. The epicentre of the quake was the scenic village of Pokhra, only 50 miles from Kathmandu.

noida_picThe earthquake has caused widespread damage to property especially in Kathmandu, where buildings have been built in close proximity to each, with photos being shared on social media soon after the tremors subsided.

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