The Indian Army is set to celebrate its 77th Army Day on January 15 in Pune, marking two significant milestones. For the first time, an all-girl contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and an all-woman contingent from the Army…

Tribune News Service

The Indian Army is set to celebrate its 77th Army Day on January 15 in Pune, marking two significant milestones. For the first time, an all-girl contingent from the National Cadet Corps (NCC) and an all-woman contingent from the Army will participate in the parade.

The Army’s all-woman contingent will comprise other ranks (jawans) and will be led by a woman officer. This initiative follows the Army’s recruitment of women in non-officer ranks in the Corps of Military Police in recent years.

Among other highlights, the parade will feature a band from the Nepal Army and showcase India’s military prowess, heritage and cutting-edge technologies. Advanced innovations, such as robotic multi-utility legged equipment designed to enhance soldiers’ mobility in challenging terrains, will also be on display.

This is the second time the Army Day parade is being held outside the national capital; last year, it took place in Bengaluru. The parade will also be complemented by the ‘Know Your Army’ exhibition, providing the public an interactive experience with soldiers and military equipment.

Army Day commemorates January 15, 1949, when General KM Cariappa became the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, succeeding General Sir Francis Butcher.

STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE NEW DELHI, 10 JANUARY Defence Minister Raj nath Singh empha sized India’s grow ing appeal as an investment destination, par ticularly in the defence and aerospace sectors, during the Ambassadors’ Round Table held today as a precursor to Aero India 2025. Addressing Ambassadors and High Com missioners from various nations, Singh highlighted Aero India 2025 as a platform for friendly nations to explore collaborative strengths and capabilities in the defence sector, catering to both strate gic and tactical needs. Acknowledging the current global security challenges and geopolitical tensions, Singh stressed the importance of collective global action. “Like-minded countries must strive together for peace and prosperity. Without these, future generations cannot fully benefit from the eco nomic growth and techno logical innovations of our era,” he said. The Defence Minister pointed out that India is emerging as a leading voice for the Global South and champions a multi-aligned policy approach, ensuring diverse perspectives are included in the pursuit of global prosperity. He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five guiding princi ples—Respect, Dialogue, Cooperation, Peace, and Pros perity—as central to India’s commitment to addressing global challenges. He further noted that India’s vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family), which was the theme of the G-20 Summit in 2023, reflects its dedication to shared pros perity and responsibility. Singh also underscored the Indian government’s HP govt to strengthen State Electricity Board focus on self-reliance in the defence and aerospace sectors. “India possesses one of the largest defence industrial ecosystems in Asia, and the government remains com mitted to enhancing its capa bilities,” he said. Highlighting key milestones, he referred to the collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems Lim ited and Airbus Defence and Space in establishing the C 295 transport aircraft man ufacturing facility for the Indian Air Force, showcasing India’s ability to attract foreign investments and partner ships. He added that Aero India 2025 will act as a pivotal plat form for fostering collabo ration among industry leaders, technology experts, and entre preneurs. “The event will open new avenues for defence industrial enterprises and provide opportunities for partnerships that will shape inclusive and sustainable growth,” Singh said. The Defence Minister also emphasized the government’s transformative policy reforms aimed at promoting domestic design, development, man ufacturing, and exports in the defence sector. As part of its vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the government has designated aerospace as a core sector. This has spurred significant advancements in cutting-edge defence tech nologies through active par ticipation from both public and private sectors. In conclusion, Singh called upon the global community to foster unity and collabo ration, stating that events like Aero India 2025 provide a vital forum for addressing contemporary challenges while driving collective growth and prosperity. Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while chairing a review meeting of the agriculture department here on Friday, said that the state govern ment was committed to promote natural farming and all possible efforts were being made in this direc tion.He directed the depart ment to map farmers culti vating wheat and maize through natural farming methods across the state. “All farms under the agri culture department in the state would be fully devel oped for natural farming by next year, which would focus solely on producing seeds for natural farming”, he said while giving instruc tions for establishment of high-tech storage centres for wheat and maize pro duced through natural farm ing. He said that one lakh families would be linked with natural farming in the coming year and also direct ed to explore possibilities

Like-minded countries should strive together for collective actions for peace in view of the state of “flux” triggered by multiple con flicts in the world, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday. In an address at an ‘Ambassadors’ Round-Table’, he said the next month’s ‘Aero India’ aerospace exhibition in India presents an opportunity for nations to jointly explore strengths and capabilities and address “strategic” as well as “tactical needs”. The defence minister said aerospace power is the “new frontier of military dominance” which acts as strategic deterrence. India’s biennial aerospace exhibition Aero-India will be held at Yelahanka on the outskirts of Bengaluru from February 10-14 with an aim to project the country as a hub for de fence manufacturing. Singh said the Indian aerospace and defence sector represents an attractive opportunity for foreign companies seeking to establish new ventures and partnerships. “It is of paramount importance that the like-minded countries should strive together for col lective actions for peace and prosperity,” he said. “Without these, our future generations will not be able to take ad vantage of economic growth or technological innovations that we are experiencing in today’s era,” Singh told en voys of several countries. Singh said India is emerg ing as a leading voice for the Global South, and it advo cates for a multi-aligned pol icy approach, which ensures that diverse views are consid ered in the collective pursuit of prosperity. “In today’s geo political landscape, fostering unity among like-minded na tions is essential for ensuring mutual prosperity and peace, while addressing contem porary challenges,” he said. The defence minister said India has always champi oned shared prosperity and shared responsibility based on the fundamental principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (One Earth, One Family). Singh described Aero India as one such event, where “na tions come together and form bonds beyond boundaries.” Elaborating on the vision behind the biennial event, he stated that it has prov en itself to be the meeting ground for the aerospace and defence sectors to showcase their products/technologies. He defined it as a forum to forge strategic partnerships towards increasing opportu nities for business, transfer of technology, joint devel opment and co-production. The Aero India will feature a ‘Defence Ministers’ Con clave, CEOs’ round-table and a large exhibition comprising India Pavilion and a trade fair of aerospace compa nies. In his remarks, Singh emphasised that India now possesses one of the largest defence industrial ecosystems in Asia and cited the “signifi cant milestone” of setting-up of a production facility for C-295 transport aircraft in in Vadodara. The defence minister as serted that India has emerged as an attractive destination for investment, and Aero India presents an opportu nity for friendly nations to jointly explore strengths and capabilities in the defence sector.

Designed for a variety of missions, the submarine is capable of anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance and special operations

Tribune News Service

The sixth and final Kalvari-class submarine, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), was handed over to the Indian Navy today. The submarine, named “Vaghsheer”, is scheduled for commissioning on January 15.

Vaghsheer underwent a series of comprehensive and rigorous tests and trials over the past year. The Naval Group of France collaborated with MDL to build the Kalvari-class submarines, a variant of the Scorpene-class designed by the Naval Group.

The Indian Navy has already commissioned the earlier five submarines in the class — Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela, and Vagir.

The state-of-the-art technology used in the Kalvari-class submarines ensures superior stealth capabilities, enabling the vessel to emit minimal noise during undersea operations.

Designed for a variety of missions, the submarine is capable of anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, area surveillance and special operations. It is equipped with wire-guided torpedoes, anti-ship missiles, advanced sonar systems, and precision-guided weapons. Additionally, it can launch missiles from beneath the sea.

Vaghsheer distinguishes itself from its sister submarines with indigenously developed features, including an internal communication and broadcast system, main batteries and Ku-band satellite communication capabilities.The Kalvari class is a conventional diesel-electric-powered submarine, renowned for its ‘silent’ undersea operations. Its modular construction allows for future upgrades, such as integrating Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology, which extends underwater endurance. On December 30, the Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 1,990 crore contract for the future incorporation of AIP technology into the Kalvari class.

AIP is a marine propulsion technology that enables non-nuclear submarines to remain submerged for longer durations. Conventional diesel-electric submarines need to surface every three to four days to recharge their batteries, whereas submarines with AIP can stay underwater for eight to 10 days. This significantly enhances stealth and operational effectiveness.

Pushing to position Aero-India as a prime event for the aerospace sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today called upon like-minded nations to join hands to explore strengths and capabilities for strategic and tactical needs. Chairing the ‘Ambassadors’ Round-Table’ as a…

Tribune News Service

Pushing to position Aero-India as a prime event for the aerospace sector, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today called upon like-minded nations to join hands to explore strengths and capabilities for strategic and tactical needs.

Chairing the ‘Ambassadors’ Round-Table’ as a prelude to Aero-India, Rajnath said, “Aerospace is the new frontier of military dominance, which acts as strategic deterrence.” Some 150 friendly countries were invited for the roundtable today. He argued that the current security environment had multiple conflicts and challenges.

Aero-India, a biennial event, is to be conducted in Bengaluru from February 10-14. It attracts a large number of exhibitors from the world’s leading industries in the field of aerospace and defence.

A restructured MSP would broaden safety nets and encourage sustainable practices, empowering farmers to thrive amidst challenges.

Suresh Kumar

The minimum support price (MSP) system was a significant policy intervention for ensuring food security and protecting farmers from market fluctuations. However, it has begun to show limitations and is now a source of unrest among farmers. Its narrow focus on a few crops has drawn criticism as today’s agricultural challenges are evolving, with rising costs, ecological concerns and the need for viable alternatives.

While the MSP system successfully stabilised wheat and paddy production, it inadvertently discouraged crop diversification, leaving farmers vulnerable to market volatility and climate impacts. The demand for reform is escalating, with farmers advocating for a legal MSP framework that encompasses a broader range of crops, backs sustainability and enhances economic security.

Opponents of an expanded MSP, including many economists, argue that such a system is impractical and financially unsustainable for the government, which they believe should not be obligated to purchase all crops. They argue for a more liberated agricultural market, similar to other economic sectors.

However, the agricultural market is not as free as it might seem; government regulations to maintain affordable food prices sometimes create opacity and most of the small and marginal farmers cannot compete against powerful traders and intermediaries.

Moreover, there is no demand requiring government purchases at MSP. Yet, it is crucial that MSP serves as a price floor — ensuring market prices do not drop below it. Reforming the MSP to align with free-market principles requires creative thinking from policymakers, economists and legal experts.

A promising approach is the establishment of a diversified MSP. Expanding coverage beyond wheat and paddy to include pulses, oilseeds, millets and horticultural produce would create a more inclusive and dynamic system, responsive to farmers’ needs. This will not only secure farmers financially but also promote sustainable practices. For instance, millets need less water than paddy, making them ideal for drought-prone areas, while pulses can enrich soil quality.

To successfully implement a diversified MSP, five key elements are essential:

1. Dynamic pricing: MSP rates should adapt to regional needs, market trends and environmental conditions to ensure equitable compensation and promote sustainable practices.

2. Robust infrastructure: Significant investments are necessary to enhance storage, transportation and processing facilities, helping reduce post-harvest losses.

3. Legal safeguards: Farmers must have legal protections to secure fair prices and mechanisms to deter exploitation.

4. Technological integration: Utilising digital platforms can aid in transparent price discovery and facilitate direct sales between farmers and consumers.

5. Education: Training and awareness campaigns are crucial to inform farmers about the benefits of diversification.

The demand for reformed and expanded MSP is justified because in the last over five decades, states have not evolved any sustainable alternative marketing intervention for the farmers. The Government of India made special financial provisions for MSP as a marketing intervention to meet the challenges of food security.

The food credit limits sanctioned to the Green Revolution states were not included in their public borrowings. This special dispensation, often termed special central assistance, was crucial for these states. However, during all these years, innovative market access systems should have been developed to give farmers alternative options. In the absence of any other alternatives, the farmers’ dependence on MSP and their demand for its expansion is appropriate.

However, it is never too late. Both the Central and state governments need to evolve alternative market mechanisms for the farmers that assure them of good remuneration while maintaining the floor process for the produce.

There are good examples to emulate. Some countries have implemented agricultural support mechanisms that could inspire MSP reforms in India. For example, the US employs a combination of direct payments, crop insurance and market loans to support its farmers. These steps ensure that farmers have multiple safety nets and are not overly dependent on any single policy. The US Farm Bill includes provisions for price loss coverage and agricultural risk coverage, which help stabilise farmers’ incomes during price drops. Similarly, the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) offers subsidies and incentives for sustainable farming practices, which can be adapted to Indian conditions to promote crop diversification and environmental conservation.

Further, farmer cooperatives have shown promise in providing market stability and better bargaining power for small farmers. These cooperatives can be leveraged to aggregate produce, negotiate better prices and reduce dependency on middlemen.

Examples from countries like Israel and the Netherlands illustrate how cooperative models can significantly enhance the profitability and sustainability of farming communities. In Israel, cooperative societies like Tnuva have helped farmers secure better market access and fairer prices through collective marketing and distribution networks.

While government intervention is crucial in determining MSP for crops, a collaborative approach that includes private sector involvement in procurement could alleviate the financial load on public systems. Incentivising private companies through tax benefits to procure products at or above MSP can enhance market competitiveness and opportunities for farmers. This model has seen success in the contract farming system in Thailand, where private companies provide guaranteed prices to farmers, ensuring stable incomes.

Further, connecting farmers directly to consumers or industries through digital platforms can bypass intermediaries, resulting in fairer prices. Initiatives like e-NAM (National Agriculture Market) in India are steps in the right direction. They promote a unified online trading platform for agricultural commodities. Investing in training for young farmers and providing transport support to target markets is vital for achieving better pricing. Digital literacy programmes and mobile-based applications can empower farmers with real-time market information, enhancing their decision-making capabilities.

The urgent need for MSP reform is clear. Environmental issues and farmer discontent demand prompt action. By diversifying the MSP system, we can transform agriculture into a more resilient and prosperous sector.

A restructured MSP would broaden safety nets and encourage sustainable practices, empowering farmers to thrive amidst challenges. It can create a balanced agricultural ecosystem where farmers are protected, markets are efficient and food security is assured for future generations.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 46th day on Friday, has shared a video message targeting the Punjab unit of the BJP. In the nearly three-minute video, the farmer leader said he had been told that the…

Mohit Khanna

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose fast-unto-death entered the 46th day on Friday, has shared a video message targeting the Punjab unit of the BJP.

In the nearly three-minute video, the farmer leader said he had been told that the Punjab unit of the BJP had approached Akal Takht, urging the Jathedar to direct him to end his fast.

“However, I feel that BJP leaders are going in the wrong direction. Instead of approaching Akal Takht, they should approach the office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek his intervention to resolve the matter,” he said.

“You should go to the office of Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who has already expressed his concern over farmers’ issues. You must also visit the office of Agriculture Minister (Shivraj Singh Chouhan) and the office of Home Minister Amit Shah.”

Dallewal said the motive behind his fast was to seek the acceptance of the farmers’ demands. He said he would end it once the Centre agreed to the demands.

“I will again urge the Punjab unit of the BJP to seek the intervention of the Prime Minister,” he said.

Amid reports of the deteriorating health and dwindling blood pressure of Dallewal, a high-level team of doctors, led by Principal Secretary (Health) Kumar Rahul, visited Khanauri to examine the fasting farmer leader on Thursday. Deputy Commissioner Preeti Yadav and SSP Nanak Singh also accompanied the team.

After meeting farmer leaders Baldev Singh Sirsa, Abhimanyu Kohar and Kaka Singh Kotra, the team went to the glass cubicle where the farmer leader is fasting. The team reportedly examined Dallewal, took his blood samples and performed an ultrasound on the abdomen. The medical report was scheduled to be released on Friday, but it was kept on hold. Asked Dr Jagpalinder Singh, Civil Surgeon, Patiala, said the report was still being compiled and would be released on Saturday.

A medical team from Rajindra Medical College and Mata Kaushalya Hospital, Patiala, is already deployed at Khanauri to continuously monitor Dallewal’s health.

Two advanced life support ambulances are also available there round the clock.

A temporary hospital equipped with all emergency equipment and medicines has been set up near the protest site.

The farmer leader has been sitting in protest since November 26. On the first day of the protest, he was picked up by the police and taken to DMC Hospital in Ludhiana. Later, after pressure mounted from farmer unions, he was released and since then he has been fasting at the Khanauri border.

Tractor-trailers have been welded with each other around the site where Dallewal is fasting and over 700 volunteers are observing night vigil near the protest site.

Assessments by prominent Chinese academics reflect that China’s leadership is preparing for US pressure on multiple fronts

Jayadeva Ranade

With barely a fortnight before Donald Trump takes over as US President, Chinese President Xi Jinping is bracing for some tough years ahead. China is anticipating a marked deterioration in bilateral relations, toughened by more sanctions. Beijing’s riposte promises to be a blend of hard and conciliatory measures. It has, in fact, been preparing for a period of very strained ties since at least June 2020.

While there has lately been a noticeable softening of rhetoric in statements by Chinese leaders and in China’s official media, Chinese analysts and military think tanks assess that the country will confront a period of very strained ties. As Xi Jinping told China’s top communist leadership on the last day of 2024, “the journey of Chinese modernisation” wouldn’t be just sunny skies, but also “choppy waters, and even dangerous storms.”

Earlier, China’s Ministry of Commerce had declared it would hit back at sanctions imposed by the US and the EU. In early December 2024, China announced a ban on exports of three minerals — gallium, germanium and antimony — to the US, thereby escalating tech trade restrictions between the two countries. The three minerals are essential for a range of military applications. Last week, it imposed sanctions on 10 US companies, including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

At the same time, quite visible in recent weeks has been the change in the tone and tenor of statements made by Chinese leaders.

The People’s Daily, official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has published articles highlighting the benefits of good relations for both countries. On December 31, it published a special commentary calling for increasing the areas of cooperation. It welcomed the renewal of the bilateral agreement on sci-tech cooperation and asserted that this “not only serves the interests of both peoples but also facilitates their joint efforts in addressing global challenges”. It emphasised that “China-US cooperation can lead to fruitful results that are beneficial to both countries and the rest of the world.”

Separately reinforcing this message, Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan sent New Year’s greetings to teachers and students of a Washington state school. Their message highlighted that “during the Second World War, China and the United States fought together for peace and justice, and the friendship between the two peoples stood the test of blood and fire and is growing ever stronger”.

Other Chinese leaders, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Ambassador to the US Xie Feng, have recently expressed similar sentiments. China has also sought to maintain bilateral linkages, like sister city and academic ties, despite the sharp downturn in relations.

Assessments by prominent Chinese academics, however, reflect that China’s leadership is preparing for US pressure on multiple fronts. Wang Yong, Professor at Peking University’s School of International Studies, said that US Secretary of State-designate Mark Rubio may “do everything in his power to suppress and curb China’s development” and could play up the Taiwan issue and form military alliances in the Asia-Pacific or Indo-Pacific regions.

Wu Xinbo, Director of the Centre for American Studies at Fudan University, suggested that the US may “challenge China’s national interests more often, and even breach our limit on many important issues.”

Zheng Yongnian, an expert in international relations and Dean of the Qianhai Institute for International Affairs at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), wrote that Asia faced an “unprecedented” danger of war and that the strong US desire to pivot to Asia and NATO’s strategic shift toward China had destabilised Asia.

In reality, though, Beijing had begun preparing for a serious confrontation with the US since at least July 2020. In an unusual and revealing article, Zhou Li, a former career diplomat and Vice-Minister of the CCP’s important International Liaison Department, has listed six measures that China requires to take to respond to the anticipated “full escalation of the struggle.” These include decoupling from the US dollar and internationalisation of the renminbi, rapidly boosting food production to prepare against reduction of food exports, like soybean, to China, preparing for medical contingencies, etc.

The latest confirmation that China is prepared for a confrontation with the US is the article by People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Colonel Wen Weiying, Associate Professor at the Military Management College of the National Defense University (NDU). It warned: “As the US strategic suppression of China becomes more severe, US sanctions against China will enter a more ‘crazy’ stage.” Colonel Wen Weiying asserted that “China must coordinate and integrate resources from all parties”, step up independent innovation and R&D and “break the unjust attempt of the United States to isolate and block the Chinese economy with sanctions.” He noted that US sanctions against China focussed on areas of cutting-edge technology, such as electronic information, ships, aerospace, nuclear, satellite, electronic technology, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and unmanned facilities. He acknowledged that the US sanctions in recent years had seriously damaged China’s national security, national interests, economic security and development.en

Colonel Wen Weiying recommended opposing US sanctions and protectionism. He said that Beijing must be prepared to respond to the imposition of further sanctions by the new Trump administration with hard-hitting retaliatory sanctions. He said countries with close ties to the US and which have advanced and hi-technology would be the targets and pointed out that China had huge cash reserves.

Sanctions against China will likely be accompanied by a sharp deterioration in China-US relations. It will not only have deleterious economic repercussions for China but also impact China politically. China’s global ambitions will be adversely affected and Xi Jinping’s authority could be severely undermined.

Manipur needs moral leadership and genuine outreach by the highest offices, and not political and insincere apologies

Lt Gen Bhopinder Singh Retd

Official apologies can be powerful instruments to heal societal wounds, rectify policies and reignite hope for future unity. They can conclusively redress and reassure the disaffected to invest in another chance to normalise. However, for an apology to work, it needs to be sincere and not political.

One of the most restorative apologies in modern history is Kniefall von Warschau or the ‘Warsaw Kneel’, with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt’s sudden and spontaneous gesture of genuflection before a war memorial in Poland to symbolically atone for Germany’s past with Poland. Brandt reflected on the poignant moment: “At the abyss of German history and under the weight of millions of murdered people, I did what people do when language fails.”

The impact of the sincere apology without any unnecessary context or defensiveness was immediate. The clear courage and dignity in Brandt’s apology overcame the murky past and ushered in a new era of trust.

Recently, the deeply fractured, polarised and largely unacknowledged realm of Manipur re-entered the national imagination with a supposed ‘apology’ by its Chief Minister, who has presided over its slide since violence erupted in May 2023.

Questions about the sincerity of the apology abound. Did it tantamount to taking ownership and accountability? Was it unequivocal? Did it resort to rote whataboutery and blame-shifting? Did it include acknowledging missteps and, therefore, rectification of outlook? Or, was it just a mealy-mouthed political statement, essentially implying more of the same, going forward?

The CM’s statement clearly lacked both personal ownership (as it pandered to generalities) and empathy, as he said perfunctorily, “Whatever happened has happened. We have to forgive and forget the past mistakes and make a new beginning.” As if on cue, and seemingly oblivious to reality, he added incredulously: “The Centre provided enough security personnel and funds”!

This begs the question that if there was no shortage of support from the Centre, why has the situation deteriorated dangerously? Was it, then, shortage of governance intent or capabilities? Either way, an unforgivable shortcoming, if any sincerity was implicit. The final straw came with the CM blaming the previous governments (from opposition parties) for the prevailing situation, thereby effectively absolving himself and his governance from the need for any remorse.

Weeks earlier, the Union Home Ministry had issued its annual report on Manipur which highlighted a laundry list of measures taken, including personnel, financial, material, and detailed an earlier visit by the Home Minister to end the strife and disaffection. The language was almost self-patting, “The central government took a series of immediate and sustained actions to handle the situation.”

But what was not mentioned in the report or in the CM’s purported ‘apology’ was the fact that the societal divide has only worsened and the resultant violence increased.

As the face and perception of Meitei majoritarianism (against minority Kukis), the CM could have been more specific in defining who he sought to ‘forgive’ and what he wanted others to ‘forget’ in his ostensible ‘apology’. After all, it was only a political ‘apology’.

With no major restructuring or reimagining of the governance structure in Manipur envisaged, what it needs desperately to heal the societal divide (beyond more security personnel and fencing of borders, which must be done, in any case) is some honest soul-cleansing, a la ‘Truth and Reconciliation’, as was done in the aftermath of the ended Apartheid (White Rule) in South Africa, when portents of bloody revenge were inevitable.

With a complex, polarised and contested past (much like Manipur), South Africa, too, could have regressed to an explosive us-versus-them rhetoric, but for the sagacity and wisdom of the leadership under ‘Africa’s Gandhi’, ie Nelson Mandela.

Like the inclusive spirit of unity-in-diversity, as enshrined in the constitutional “Idea of India”, the South African leadership had chosen to valourise and posit their own civilisational concept of ‘Ubuntu’, which is predicated on the interconnectedness of humankind. This approach is especially important as it offers a fresh and real chance to come clean by seeking forgiveness over prosecution, unlike the spirit prevailing in a solely militaristic approach, as is visible in Manipur.

If one comes from a more unbiased and progressive outlook that in any conflict, excesses or wrongs are committed by all sides (as opposed to binary ‘othering’, as is the wont in India these days), then a sense of restorative justice prevails.

Importantly, in the South African experiment under Truth and Reconciliation, the corrective action was not implied for ‘Whites’ only, but also onto ANC (African National Congress) cadres, who, too, had committed excesses. Individuals seeking amnesty came clean on human rights violations that they had perpetuated with the aim of restoring the victim’s dignity and seeking forgiveness.

A natural outcome of ‘bringing out the truth’ has a reconciliatory and forward-moving effect that cannot be achieved with retributive justice, as there are layers after layers to ‘truths’ in such places. A majoritarian spirit of ‘victor’s justice’ is avoided. In Manipur, one side definitely imagines the State to be favouring the other. Importantly, this process does not preclude justice from running its course if the magnitude and brutality (and also non-acceptance) prevails amongst parties on specific instances.

What Manipur needs is a total reconstruction of its society (and narratives). That can only emerge if the recent past is opened to inform the distraught populace on both sides about what really happened in order to accept, forgive and heal the same for a collective future.

As only a wise statesman and not just a politician, Nelson Mandela could say: “All of us, as a nation that has newly found itself, share in the shame at the capacity of human beings of any race or language group to be inhumane to other human beings. We should all share in the commitment to a South Africa in which that will never happen again.”

Manipur needs such moral leadership and genuine outreach by the highest offices, and not political and insincere apologies.

The scams reported during his second term in office were a result of his reluctance to discipline colleagues

Julio Ribeiro

Resuming my column after the Xmas break, I look back at the happenings in our country during the past few weeks. The distinct brand of democracy that is taking root in India was on display within the new Parliament building and outside. Elected members came to blows, a feature of some parliaments in the Far East.

Outside the building’s precincts, a Virat Kohli-like shove was attempted by Rahul Gandhi on a BJP elder. Virat’s target on the cricket ground resumed his innings after the encounter. Rahul’s opponent found himself in a hospital, chattering about the strength of the younger man pitted against him.

While the country watched the antics of our elected representatives, their party bosses got into a slanging match in poll-bound Delhi. The verbal duel has graduated to a poster war between the BJP and AAP, with the two opponents denigrating each other in print. We are amused and disgusted simultaneously, and in equal measure.

Mercifully, there was the proverbial silver lining. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra delivered her maiden speech in the Lok Sabha. In fact, she opened the Opposition’s arguments on disrespect to the Constitution. She also mentioned the vituperative attacks on her great-grandfather, Jawaharlal Nehru, the bête noire of the present dispensation. She spoke well and sensibly too. She resurrected a flicker of hope for the return of decency and substance to proceedings in Parliament, as was prevalent in the times of Pandit Nehru.

An extremely decent human being, who was our Prime Minister for a decade, breathed his last in a hospital in Delhi. Dr Manmohan Singh was truly respected not only in Punjab and the North, from where he hailed, but also in other parts of the country where perceptive citizens ferret out decent and credible leaders when they perceive the existence of such a rare specimen.

It was not as a Sikh but as a Congress leader and the Prime Minister that Manmohan Singh apologised to the Sikh community for the injustices heaped upon them after Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984. Such a gesture of humility and contrition was not attempted by the Congress government in Maharashtra after the slaughter of Muslims in Mumbai in 1993 or by the BJP in Gujarat in 2002.

I had occasion to interact with Dr Singh during my years in service and later. Two such occasions remain etched in memory. The first arose when the IPS Officers’ Association asked me to meet the PM to plead its case when the Pay Commission’s recommendations were being considered by the Union Government.

I had retired by then and set up home in Mumbai, the city of my birth. I asked the officer who had spoken to me on the phone why that was necessary when the PM’s own son-in-law was a member of our service. The officer replied that the son-in-law would not dare to broach the subject to the PM. In a country where nepotism is an accepted evil, the thought that the PM was beyond such weaknesses was certainly exhilarating.

After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, famous lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar and influential Marathi journalist Kumar Ketkar asked me to accompany them to Delhi to meet the PM to discuss the repercussions of this incident for the polity.

Dr Singh listened carefully to each of us. I spoke about inter-community relations and how civil society in my city was involved in finding acceptable solutions. He obviously took my suggestions to heart because when I arrived back at Mumbai’s airport, the Chief Minister sent an emissary to request me to drive straight to his residence to discuss with him the suggestions I had made to the PM.

Dr Singh was an attentive listener. He acted on ideas if he perceived some merit in them. He was not merely humble; his credibility was high. It is true that his sense of decency sometimes worked against him. The scams that were reported during his second term in office were a result of his reluctance to discipline colleagues, especially those from other political parties which were part of the coalition government. Narendra Modi scores much better than him in the ability to manage coalition partners.

An unseemly row has erupted between the Congress and the BJP about the site of a memorial to honour the former PM’s contribution to the country and its people. Dr Singh was the only non-politician to rise to this pedestal. He did not command a following among citizens like other Prime Ministers did to a larger or smaller degree. But he deserves a monument in marble to remind us of the man who opened our economy and lifted crores of Indians to the ranks of the middle income groups from near-poverty levels.

In Maharashtra, the BJP-led coalition is wrestling with the financial downside of the Ladki Bahin project, which literally took Mahayuti over the finishing line in the 2024 Assembly elections. A massive exercise is afoot to ascertain the eligibility of crores of applicants whom the scheme was not supposed to cover. Half of the would-be beneficiaries will find themselves deprived of the promised largesse. They are bound to grumble. In the meantime, the Agriculture Minister is finding it hard to pacify farmers who were promised loan waivers, which the treasury cannot accommodate at present.

‘Grumbling’ was the word most in evidence when the state’s Cabinet was to be formed. The number of aspirants for ministerial status exceeded the figure permitted by law. The 41 MLAs belonging to Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction and the 57 from Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena had a tough time concluding who should be in and who could be left out. This is a common occurrence that has been experienced earlier, but this time around, the aspirational levels had risen so sharply that it took a month after the election results to arrive at a solution.

The police establishment will be forced to part with many more personnel to provide security (status, really) to the 40-odd Ministers. Status and importance are what they all crave for. Some, of course, are in search of ‘creamy’ portfolios! It will be difficult for CM Devendra Fadnavis to please them all. I reckon it will be a test of his leadership skills.