Rajiv Malhotra on India272+ Dialogues
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**Transcript**
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Moderator Que#1: There are 2 points of AAP. Both Congress and BJP are equally bad and the power must come in the hands of the common man. Do you really think that power will come in the hands of common man? If not then where will this power go? What should be the criteria that the common man must look for in a party?
Rajiv : Strong institutions are necessary. I wish AAP luck to rule one state efficiently for at least 5 years. The party should first learn to work together. It is very dangerous to take up a bunch of people to take up who has not even run a small government and give them control to run a large government like Delhi? There will be more chaos more anarchy and disruptions in India and society will fall apart if a government of too many coalition partners comes to power. A vote for AAP is a vote for anarchy and fragmentation.
Moderator Que#2: If AAP comes to power it will be fragmented. So could be the forces that can possibly take over AAP?
Rajiv : To keep India united we should have a party which is based on the open architecture of dharma. All the minorities, all the faiths and all the traditions are welcome and they are all given a place in this architecture. They have to be loyal to the geography of India and have to stop close-minded ideologies which claim exclusivity. Either dharma i.e., the open-minded architecture will prevail or adharma which is the forces of breaking India will win. It is a battle between dharma and adharma.
Moderator Que#3: We have great expectations on Mr. Modi. But there are so many errors of the past which need to be rectified and might take another 60 years. What’s your take on this?
Rajiv : We must avoid the devta syndrome – which is to look up to a human as a sort of devata and abandon one’s own responsibility, while expecting this person to solve everything. Everybody has to do their own swadharama. Modiji cannot go and solve all these problems single-handedly, it will be unfair. This is the challenge that we are facing, how to help Modiji’s government which I hope he will take-over. We need work in infrastructure, we need work to make smart cities, bullet trains, control the black economy, make India a knowledge hub — these are all what he promises. We need women empowerment, we need youth employment, and we need population control. There are so many problems and for this we need many institutions many groups, and therefore people should start planning now how will these groups will function so that when the time comes people are ready. This is not a one man job.
Moderator Que#4: Salman Khurshid called Mr. Modi as impotent because he failed to stop the ethnic riots. What’s your say on this?
Rajiv : If you apply this standard then we should apply the same criteria equally and in every direction. Rajiv Gandhi couldn’t stop the riots in 1984: therefore he was also impotent; and if it’s so, then where did Rahul Gandhi come from? This is silly. It is more important to understand the history of riots in India, by state, ethnicity and religion. This will make you to understand that the problems are there from the time of British. Media should stop hounding Modi for the 2002 riots. Media is determined to find something since they cannot criticise his governance, they cannot criticise his track records of dealing with minorities. Muslims in Gujarat have a better record of progress than anyone else in India; bringing artificial issues is kind of a cheap shot!
Moderator Que#5: For India, is Secularism is the best option? How do we look at vote banks in democracy? How do we get over this fake secularism that is the mainstream ideology these days?
Rajiv : We have a much better system than secularism where lots of traditions and faiths can co-exist in harmony and mutual respect; secularism has been turned into an anti-majority kind of system in India. But India is actually a sham-secularism and we haven’t implemented it on a level playing field.
Moderator Que#6: There is a huge discussion on Ford Foundation these days. What’s your view on this?
Rajiv : Ford Foundation is a nexus of the West whose main purpose was to go to India and spread the western ideas of human rights, families, community and politics. There is large funding coming to India and no one has ever investigated it. India should have its own Fourth Foundation rather depending on the US for funds.
Moderator Que#7: How can we at an individual level stop Ford Foundation?
Rajiv : The youth should be trained to debate, keeping their cool and they should have the courage to speak out. The new government should build new institutional mechanisms where new mentors could be brought to train an army of intellectual warriors. These intellectual warriors later can become the cultural ambassadors and can start training other intellectuals.
Moderator Que#8: What is your view of the West?
Rajiv : The west is very well informed about their grand narratives while Indians are not well informed about ours. We should learn from them how to respect one’s own grand narratives. The institutions in the West are strong, and not cults of individual; whereas in India when an individual leader dies there is fighting among individual personalities at the cost of the institution. India should not blindly follow the ideas of the West it should look for solutions within the Indian gamut.
Moderator Que#9: How can voting for Modi develop a grand narrative for India?
Rajiv : To make a grand narrative of India is NOT a single man’s task. The scriptwriters of this grand narrative are the Indians themselves. The ministry of ICCR has not done a good job regarding the grand narrative of India. We need not build institutions. So what we want are new leaders, new visionaries to take over these institutions whose job would be to create the grand narrative of India. These grand narratives of India should reflect in the functioning of the HRD ministry, the media, and the tourism industry.
Moderator Que#10: How will you compare Congress vs BJP vs AAP vs other regional parties?
Rajiv : There is a big movement against the Congress party and there is a risk of fragmentation if AAP is given the power. The reason to vote for Modi is to have a strong government which will be in line with our dharma which can make our nation together.
Moderator Que#11: Is there a Hindu lobby in US which will change the US’s stand for Modi?
Rajiv : Modi should not be asking for a visa; he is above this. We should not think that there is a Modi visa problem. It will become America’s problem. The policy of India should come from Delhi and not from Washington. Other people will automatically change their opinion when they see a confident India.
Moderator Que#12: What is the merit of a dharmic economic and political model? Is there any relevance of such a model in the future?
Rajiv : It is a decentralized model. It is a model governed by small enterprises which are the backbone of India. India should create more grass root level decentralized organisations, small scale economies.
Moderator Que#13: In this age of nukes what is the one thing that India should guard to never get colonised again?
Rajiv : Having a grand narrative is most important, because it will make you aware why you exist together. Using this grand narrative you can build institutions including military institutions, foreign policy, and empowerment.
Moderator Que#14: Why are the Haj pilgrimage subsidised whereas Hindu pilgrimage are not subsidised?
Rajiv : The government should make public the latest census data and should allocate the necessary funds in proportion to the populations of various religion. There should be religious equality.
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**Transcript**
------------------
Moderator Que#1: There are 2 points of AAP. Both Congress and BJP are equally bad and the power must come in the hands of the common man. Do you really think that power will come in the hands of common man? If not then where will this power go? What should be the criteria that the common man must look for in a party?
Rajiv : Strong institutions are necessary. I wish AAP luck to rule one state efficiently for at least 5 years. The party should first learn to work together. It is very dangerous to take up a bunch of people to take up who has not even run a small government and give them control to run a large government like Delhi? There will be more chaos more anarchy and disruptions in India and society will fall apart if a government of too many coalition partners comes to power. A vote for AAP is a vote for anarchy and fragmentation.
Moderator Que#2: If AAP comes to power it will be fragmented. So could be the forces that can possibly take over AAP?
Rajiv : To keep India united we should have a party which is based on the open architecture of dharma. All the minorities, all the faiths and all the traditions are welcome and they are all given a place in this architecture. They have to be loyal to the geography of India and have to stop close-minded ideologies which claim exclusivity. Either dharma i.e., the open-minded architecture will prevail or adharma which is the forces of breaking India will win. It is a battle between dharma and adharma.
Moderator Que#3: We have great expectations on Mr. Modi. But there are so many errors of the past which need to be rectified and might take another 60 years. What’s your take on this?
Rajiv : We must avoid the devta syndrome – which is to look up to a human as a sort of devata and abandon one’s own responsibility, while expecting this person to solve everything. Everybody has to do their own swadharama. Modiji cannot go and solve all these problems single-handedly, it will be unfair. This is the challenge that we are facing, how to help Modiji’s government which I hope he will take-over. We need work in infrastructure, we need work to make smart cities, bullet trains, control the black economy, make India a knowledge hub — these are all what he promises. We need women empowerment, we need youth employment, and we need population control. There are so many problems and for this we need many institutions many groups, and therefore people should start planning now how will these groups will function so that when the time comes people are ready. This is not a one man job.
Moderator Que#4: Salman Khurshid called Mr. Modi as impotent because he failed to stop the ethnic riots. What’s your say on this?
Rajiv : If you apply this standard then we should apply the same criteria equally and in every direction. Rajiv Gandhi couldn’t stop the riots in 1984: therefore he was also impotent; and if it’s so, then where did Rahul Gandhi come from? This is silly. It is more important to understand the history of riots in India, by state, ethnicity and religion. This will make you to understand that the problems are there from the time of British. Media should stop hounding Modi for the 2002 riots. Media is determined to find something since they cannot criticise his governance, they cannot criticise his track records of dealing with minorities. Muslims in Gujarat have a better record of progress than anyone else in India; bringing artificial issues is kind of a cheap shot!
Moderator Que#5: For India, is Secularism is the best option? How do we look at vote banks in democracy? How do we get over this fake secularism that is the mainstream ideology these days?
Rajiv : We have a much better system than secularism where lots of traditions and faiths can co-exist in harmony and mutual respect; secularism has been turned into an anti-majority kind of system in India. But India is actually a sham-secularism and we haven’t implemented it on a level playing field.
Moderator Que#6: There is a huge discussion on Ford Foundation these days. What’s your view on this?
Rajiv : Ford Foundation is a nexus of the West whose main purpose was to go to India and spread the western ideas of human rights, families, community and politics. There is large funding coming to India and no one has ever investigated it. India should have its own Fourth Foundation rather depending on the US for funds.
Moderator Que#7: How can we at an individual level stop Ford Foundation?
Rajiv : The youth should be trained to debate, keeping their cool and they should have the courage to speak out. The new government should build new institutional mechanisms where new mentors could be brought to train an army of intellectual warriors. These intellectual warriors later can become the cultural ambassadors and can start training other intellectuals.
Moderator Que#8: What is your view of the West?
Rajiv : The west is very well informed about their grand narratives while Indians are not well informed about ours. We should learn from them how to respect one’s own grand narratives. The institutions in the West are strong, and not cults of individual; whereas in India when an individual leader dies there is fighting among individual personalities at the cost of the institution. India should not blindly follow the ideas of the West it should look for solutions within the Indian gamut.
Moderator Que#9: How can voting for Modi develop a grand narrative for India?
Rajiv : To make a grand narrative of India is NOT a single man’s task. The scriptwriters of this grand narrative are the Indians themselves. The ministry of ICCR has not done a good job regarding the grand narrative of India. We need not build institutions. So what we want are new leaders, new visionaries to take over these institutions whose job would be to create the grand narrative of India. These grand narratives of India should reflect in the functioning of the HRD ministry, the media, and the tourism industry.
Moderator Que#10: How will you compare Congress vs BJP vs AAP vs other regional parties?
Rajiv : There is a big movement against the Congress party and there is a risk of fragmentation if AAP is given the power. The reason to vote for Modi is to have a strong government which will be in line with our dharma which can make our nation together.
Moderator Que#11: Is there a Hindu lobby in US which will change the US’s stand for Modi?
Rajiv : Modi should not be asking for a visa; he is above this. We should not think that there is a Modi visa problem. It will become America’s problem. The policy of India should come from Delhi and not from Washington. Other people will automatically change their opinion when they see a confident India.
Moderator Que#12: What is the merit of a dharmic economic and political model? Is there any relevance of such a model in the future?
Rajiv : It is a decentralized model. It is a model governed by small enterprises which are the backbone of India. India should create more grass root level decentralized organisations, small scale economies.
Moderator Que#13: In this age of nukes what is the one thing that India should guard to never get colonised again?
Rajiv : Having a grand narrative is most important, because it will make you aware why you exist together. Using this grand narrative you can build institutions including military institutions, foreign policy, and empowerment.
Moderator Que#14: Why are the Haj pilgrimage subsidised whereas Hindu pilgrimage are not subsidised?
Rajiv : The government should make public the latest census data and should allocate the necessary funds in proportion to the populations of various religion. There should be religious equality.
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