Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has acquired equity shares of Urban Ladder Home Decor Solutions Private Limited (UrbanLadder) for a cash consideration of Rs 182.12 crore.
The investment represents 96 per cent holding in the equity share capital of UrbanLadder. RRVL has a further option of acquiring the balance stake, taking its shareholding to 100 per cent of the equity share capital of UrbanLadder.
RRVL proposes to make a further investment of up to Rs 75 crore. The further investment is expected to be completed by December 2023.
UrbanLadder was incorporated in India on February 17, 2012. UrbanLadder is in the business of operating a digital platform for home furniture and decor products.
It also has a chain of retail stores in several cities across India. UrbanLadder’s audited turnover was Rs 434 crore, Rs 151.22 crore and Rs 50.61 crore, and Net Profit/(Loss) of Rs 49.41 crore, Rs 118.66 crore and Rs 457.97 crore in FY 2019, FY 2018 and FY 2017 respectively.
The aforesaid investment will further enable the group’s digital and new commerce initiatives and widen the bouquet of consumer products provided by the group, while enhancing user engagement and experience across its retail offerings.
No governmental or regulatory approvals were required for the said investment. The investment does not fall within related party transactions and none of RIL’s promoter/promoter group/group companies have any interest in the transaction.
India’s merchandise exports in October declined by over 5 per cent on a year-on-year basis.
As per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s data released on Friday, merchandise worth $24.89 billion were shipped-out during the month under review as against $26.23 billion exported in the same period of the previous year.
In terms of sequential movement, the country’s merchandise exports in September had risen by 5.99 per cent to $27.58 billion from $26.02 billion exported in the same period of the previous year.
Accordingly, major commodities which have recorded negative growth during October 2020 vis-a-vis October 2019 were ‘petroleum products, cashew, gems and jewellery, leather and leather products’ amongst others.
“Non-petroleum and non-gems and jewellery exports in October 2020 were USD 20.31 Billion, as compared to USD 19.07 billion in October 2019, registering a positive growth of 6.51 per cent,” the ministry said.
Similarly, India’s imports declined, it fell by (-) 11.53 per cent to $33.61 billion in October from $37.99 billion reported for the corresponding month of 2019.
In September, imports declined by (-) 19.60 per cent to $30.31 billion from $37.69 billion reported for the corresponding month of 2019.
“Oil imports in October 2020 were USD 5.98 Billion, which was 38.52 per cent lower in Dollar terms, compared to USD 9.73 billion in October 2019,” the statement said.
“Non-oil imports in October 2020 were estimated at USD 27.62 billion which was 2.24 per cent lower in Dollar terms compared to USD 28.26 billion in October 2019.”
“Non-oil and non-gold imports were USD 25.12 billion in October 2020, recording a negative growth of (-) 4.90 per cent, as compared to non-oil and non-gold imports of USD 26.42 billion in October 2019.”
Consequently, India’s trade deficit narrowed to $8.71 billion on a year-on-year basis in October from $11.75 billion reported for the corresponding month of last year.
The trade deficit had narrowed to $2.72 billion in September from $11.67 billion reported for the corresponding month of the previous year.
“The merchandise trade deficit for October 2020 is in line with our estimates, printing at the highest level for this fiscal year,” said ICRA’s Principal Economist Aditi Nayar.
“As the economic recovery strengthens, we expect the current account surplus to decline substantially in Q3 FY2021, from the $20 billion recorded in Q1 FY2021 and the $12-14 billion expected for Q2 FY2021.”
According to EEPC India Chairman Mahesh Desai: “With the second wave of Covid 19 hitting
Europe, and the US reeling under the pandemic, Indian exports face a tough winter of global trade.”
In addition, Suman Chowdhury, Chief Analytical Officer Acuite Ratings & Research said: “The healthy pickup in exports seen in September could not be sustained in October, leading to a YoY drop of 5.1 per cent.”
“The primary factor behind the slip in exports has been the substantial drop in petroleum product shipments on a sequential basis by 54 per cent in October. Excluding POL, exports have seen a marginal YoY growth of 2 per cent given the steady growth in agricultural, minerals and pharmaceutical exports.”
Veteran Bengali actor Soumitra Chatterjee passed away on Sunday and the medical board at the Kolkata hospital where he was for over a month announced the news. He was 85.
“We declare with heavy heart that Shri Soumitra Chattopadhyay breathed his last at 12.15 p.m. at Belle Vue Clinic today (15 November 2020). We pay our homage to his soul,” the bulletin from Kolkata’s Belle Vue Hospital said.
Chatterjee’s health condition was “extremely critical” and he was “not responding at all” to treatment, critical care expert and head of the medical board Arindam Kar had said just minutes back.
The octogenarian actor’s health condition “extremely” deteriorated since Friday.
“The team of doctors including neurologist, nephrologist, cardiologist, those from critical care medicine, infection disease specialist, both from public and private sectors, every one has put their effort to get the legend back from the critical stage, but it is not working,” Kar told IANS around 10 a.m.
He said that the doctors have tried really hard to “revive” Soumitra. “We are very sorry to say that he is not responding at all.”
The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kolkata’s Belle Vue Hospital for almost 40 days and his consciousness level went down significantly since Friday. The condition of the veteran actor had remained a matter of concern owing to co-morbidities and advanced age. His key problem was Covid-19 encephalopathy, doctors said.
Soumitra Chatterjee tested positive for coronavirus on October 5 and got admitted to the hospital the very next morning.
He was shooting for a documentary titled “Abhijan” directed by actor Parambrata Chattopadhyay. Last time he attended the shooting floor at Bharatlaxmi Studio was on October 1. The next shooting schedule was fixed on October 7.
Netherlands based Verstgen has tied up with the internationally reputed global brand Sri Sri Tattva headquartered in India to offer sustainable agricultural solutions reports Rahul Laud from Asian Lite International Newsdesk
The Rotterdam family business Verstegen Spices & Sauces has drawn up plans to offer sustainable solutions in Europe. Its sustainability ambitions are being further developed in collaboration with Source Natural Foods & Herbal Supplements Limited, a listed company on the Bombay Stock Exchange, subsidiary of one of India’s leading multinational brand of Ayurveda & FMCG Sriveda Sattva Private Limited (Sri Sri Tattva). Together with Source Natural, Verstegen has signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will further expand the planting of sustainable food forests in India. Both Source Natural and Verstegen have the ambition to use this way of doing business to leave a better world for the next generation. This collaboration is therefore a huge step to achieve this goal.
The objective of the MOU is to set up a verified and safe food supply chain of regenerative spices (agroforestry and natural farming) and explore together new market opportunities. Both companies have agreed to start with a red chilli based agroforestry system in Andhra Pradesh, India and to promote it widely with other spices in the future.
The chillies, coming from a regenerative source, will be procured directly from the farmers and processed into the final product. Sustainability and traceability forms the foundation of this business relationship. Verstegen has been a leader in sustainable business and was elected as the most sustainable company in the Netherlands informed company sources.
Furthermore it is reported that Source Natural has collaborated with the Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences & Technology Trust and have done extensive work to train farmers in sustainable methods of farming such as natural and organic farming. Having a good connection with local farmers in the region, the company would be able to source high quality produce and ensure that the farmers earn a premium over the market rate for their high quality crop, a result of the special methods of cultivation applied by them.
The collaboration will start with a pilot at the end of 2020 and will start growing chilies in combination with other crops in order to be able to comply with a sustainable agricultural system, also known as agroforestry.
Agroforestry is a sustainable agricultural system also known as ‘regenerative agroforestry’. With this system, different crops on the same piece of land absorb CO2 from the air. In addition to CO2 absorption, this agricultural method also provides more biodiversity, higher yields for farmers, healthier plants, better harvest quality and better soil conditions.
Verstegen started planting sustainable food forests in 2019. According to the company , this is the step towards the development and preservation of sustainable herb and spice chains. Source Natural Foods & Herbal Supplements Limited was founded in 1995 with a holistic and Ayurvedic approach to health and wellbeing has been available in Europe and the UK.
Arvind Varchaswi Managing Director Sri Sri Tattva, said , “We see that consumers want to live healthier lives and look at foods that are good for their health. More and more food trends are rooted in the Ayurveda system of medicine from India. Since the beginning of this year, Sri Sri Tattva Europe B.V., with the Dutch CEO Anja Jessurun, has been distributing the wide product range in Europe, in categories such as: Ayurvedic food and supplements, health care, personal care, and online courses.”
Michel Chairman & Managing Director, Verstegen “With this program we will grow and market regenerative chillies in India. A profit for all parties involved, including the farming communities on which we depend ”.
Sri Sri Tatva has also drawn up ‘’ambitious’’ plans to offer its entire product range of various ayurveda and herbal products coupled with various wisdom and knowledge sessions related to wellness in Europe and UK. The company is also geared up to expand its distributor network in Europe and the UK informed company sources.
Indian Prime Minister -Narendra Modi with US President (then Vice-President) Joe Biden
It is likely that establishing a close bond between the incoming President of the US and the Prime Minister of India will be a priority for both Joe Biden and Narendra Modi…writes Prof. Madhav Nalapat
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President-Elect (then Vice-President) Joe Biden
The “Namaste Trump” mela in Ahmedabad this year and earlier, the 2019 “Howdy Modi” hoopla in Houston, have been lampooned by many as sideshows. Such a view ignores the symbolism of both across the world. India has an economy far smaller than that of the United States (almost by ten times), and yet as the two leaders marched arm in arm across the stadium on both occasions, it was perceived by tens of millions of viewers that the Trump administration had finally accepted India as an equal, just as President Richard Nixon did with the People’s Republic of China in the 1970s. Nixon’s deft diplomacy created the defining alliance of the US during Cold War 1.0. This was not with the other members of NATO but with Beijing, and there grew an often understated, often covert, link between that capital and Washington. Similarly, the most consequential partnership between Washington and any other capital during Cold War 2.0 will be—as was acknowledged by then National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster in 2018—with Delhi. There has been much quibbling over whether what is taking place between the PRC and the US is indeed a “Cold War”. Those reluctant to admit that their serial predictions of the PRC turning democratic with economic success have doubled down on the strategy of engaging rather than confronting China. Such elements have long been part of the Biden policy ecosystem, hence the optimism in Beijing that spring is approaching after a Trumpian winter. The sizeable “Engage, don’t confront PRC” lobby in Washington has pointed out correctly that both sides seek to avoid a direct conflict but are silent about the fact that wars are not always started by design. A “Cold War” is not the opposite of a “hot” or kinetic war, but describes a situation wherein one superpower is seeking to wrest global leadership from the other by whatever means is available, and the other is seeking to repress its capabilities for doing so. Such a contest may be “hot” in some locations while remaining “cold” in others.
There has been a perception among policymakers, especially in Asia, that a Biden administration would return to the G-2 model favoured by Beijing (until it establishes a clear lead over the US). US tech companies, unhappy at having to decouple from their PRC partners and suppliers, have lavished money on the Democratic Party presidential campaign in the expectation that the decoupling from PRC-controlled supply chains that began in the final year of the Obama administration and was continued with more vigour under Donald J. Trump, will get reversed. They are likely to be disappointed, as PRC progress in Artificial Intelligence and in space and missile technology has begun to pose an existential threat to US military assets. As President of the US, Joe Biden will have access to data that show how the PRC has, for at least a decade, been working to separate its own tech supply chains from the US, and how it being the dominant component of so many US supply chains is assisting such a process. Neither Joe Biden nor Kamala Harris can be accused with accuracy of being “soft” on the PRC, unlike what has been alleged against them by the Republicans. Judging by some of the new entrants in the advisory councils of both, it is clear that both have transitioned from the Altanticist obsession of the Clintons to the Indo-Pacific pivot initiated by President Barack Obama, with the assistance of two outstanding intellects, Susan Rice and Ashton Carter.
However, President Obama was cautious to a fault in many ways, and standing up to China was included in that list. ASEAN countries factored in with dismay the non-response of the Obama administration when the Scarborough Shoals were taken over by the PRC from the Philippines in 2012 despite an agreement with Manila not to do so. The Pentagon’s policy has been the undertaking of symbolic passages by naval vessels through the South China Sea. Instead, what is needed (in conjunction with other powers) is to recover primacy over that crucial waterway through reversing the steady militarization of the South China Sea that has taken place under General Secretary Xi Jinping. This transformational leader has from the start of his rule in 2012 placed the PLA at the hub of diplomacy and strategy. The geographical activism that has taken place under Xi since 2012 resembles the manner in which there was accretion of territory by Chairman Mao, only this time mostly on water rather than land. What may be termed as neo-socialist (or neosoc) PRC analysts (who are as fixated on the expansion of Beijing’s power as the neo-conservatives or neocons were in the US were about boosting that of Washington) are gaining influence within the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It is this group that is pushing for an aggressive PRC policy towards India. Their line has been adopted by the Central Military Commission (CMC) in the expectation that the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on India has given an opportunity for the PLA to knock out any chances of Delhi emerging as a credible challenger to the PRC.
Joe Biden and Kamala harris
Once humiliating blows were landed, India would (in their view) lose its attraction as a potential ally to the US, and would itself begin a process of internal turmoil and eventual meltdown. This would in line with the objectives of GHQ Rawalpindi, a PLA ally. Simultaneously, the influence of Russia besides the PRC’s own lobby within India would prevent the Narendra Modi government from going ahead with an Indo-US partnership, on the specious ground that by doing so, the “independence” and “strategic autonomy” of India would be compromised. Both are indeed being sought to be compromised, not by those in favour of a defence and security alignment with the US, but because of the activities of the PLA and GHQ Rawalpindi. Both are working in tandem where India is concerned. PRC “neosoc” (neo-socialist) analysts expect the Biden administration to seek a return to the G-2 model in Asia. Should they be correct, US credibility as a security partner for Southeast Asia would fall to depths not seen since the 1930s.
AGGRESIVE NEO-SOCIALISTS
The nationalistic (or in their words, patriotic) neosoc analysts in China believe that the Biden administration will move away from the Indo-Pacific strategy fashioned during the Trump presidency. This would be at the precise time when the Quad needs to expand its potentiality through the association of Vietnam and Indonesia. The latter country contains the only waterway through which nuclear submarines can transit from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean, besides having the largest Muslim population in the world, followed by Pakistan and India. There was a similar burst of optimism in Chinese Communist Party (CCP) think-tanks when Donald Trump was sworn in on 20 January 2017. The 45th President of the US was after all a businessman, and the CCP has been expert in the handling of business entities, which is why to this day, Big Tech in the US remains hostile to the Pompeo-Esper hard line on China. They would prefer that Huawei and other PRC entities continue to service their needs, even if in the process US tech giants are themselves are at risk of getting overtaken in global markets by business champions nurtured by the CCP.
The declaration of President Trump’s 2017 trade war with China was regarded by them as simply a negotiating tactic to get more concessions. It was only after several months that the “neosocs” understood that at least under Trump the era of the US facilitating the expansion of PRC businesses and markets was over. Given the fact that not only Republicans but Democrats share apprehensions about the direction the PRC is taking, it is unlikely that even the many Atlanticists in a Biden administration would be able to resist the growing number of voices within the Pentagon, the National Security Council and even the State Department that regard the Indo-Pacific rather than the Atlantic as the centre of gravity in global geopolitics. Such a pivot implies that it is the PRC that is the principal foe, and no longer Russia, which under Vladimir Putin has now moved into the role of being an indispensable (and therefore quasi-equal) partner of the PRC. The Sino-Russian alliance is a formidable construct that has the potential to establish a unipolar Asia before moving on to the creation of a unipolar world. At the same time, as Beijing establishes itself as the dominant power in Asia, Moscow would once again expand its footprint in Europe, especially in those European states that were once part of COMECON. Should an Indo-US security and defence partnership become operational, this would pose a significant obstacle to such plans, which is why both Moscow and Beijing (not to mention Islamabad) are opposed to the idea of a US-India partnership.
The signing of the final foundation agreement (BECA) between the US and India has shown that the influence of Moscow on decisions in Delhi is finally declining. It is a sign of the influence of Moscow within the Ministry of Defence that when the PLA intruded yet again (and in a strength not seen since 1962) into Indian territory in May, rather than purchase US weapons platforms, once again bulk orders were placed with Moscow. These were of items with which the PLA is very familiar. It was when US equipment made a substantial difference to the fighting capabilities of the Army and the Air Force in their recent confronting of the PLA challenge that the importance of turning to a rival rather than to an ally of China for crucial military supplies became more apparent within the Lutyens Zone. Despite not having met or even talked to Candidate Trump until he became President Trump, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was quick off the mark in establishing as close a relationship with the 45th President of the US as he was with Barack Obama. It is likely that establishing a close bond between the incoming President of the US and the Prime Minister of India will be a priority for both Biden as well as Modi. Such closeness will be opposed in India by those political parties who remain as wedded to the USSR-US Cold war 1.0 strategies as hardcore Atlanticists in the US cling on to illusions that the realities that took shape after the 1939-45 war have not been overtaken by the emergence of the Indo-Pacific century, or that it is no longer Moscow but Beijing that is the primary challenge to Washington.
The Democratic Party has been unlucky in the loss while in office of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Both understood the importance of the change that was accelerating in Asia and Africa. Had Roosevelt been in office for the whole of his final term, many of the wars and miscalculations that followed would have been avoided. Had Kennedy lived to win a second term, the India-US relationship would have blossomed into a partnership. President Clinton had no time for India except in the matter of demolishing its nuclear and missile deterrent against the PRC, which he indulged in terms of policy even while objecting to some of its actions in words. Even in his last-minute visit to India, President Clinton made sure to visit Pakistan as well, thereby underlining the hyphenation of the two countries that was a staple of US foreign policy from the time of President Eisenhower. It took President George W. Bush to accept the reality of India as a responsible nuclear weapons state, and also to open the door to the world’s largest democracy becoming the manufactory of 90% of the life-preserving drugs that ensured that HIV (AIDS) ceased to be a death sentence for the poor across the globe.
US President Donald Trump with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The incoming US President needs to similarly turn to India if he is to ensure that the poor in his country get affordable access to the medications needed to mitigate the effects of Covid-19. This would be still more relevant in a situation where a vaccine remains distant. The Clinton, Obama and Trump administrations took the side of Big Pharma against their own poor and their own budgets, working overtime to shut the door on cheaper generics from India. US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer would be welcomed by Big Pharma as a well-paid lobbyist, so relentless has been his effort to get India to change its laws and practices so as to weaken its generics industry and to ensure that patents for Big Pharma drugs get indefinitely extended through legerdemain rather than any genuine change in the effectiveness of the high-priced medication whose patent is getting extended. Someday, the human rights lobby will become active in the matter of the tens of millions of poor who have died or suffered agony because access to low-cost and equally effective medications from India was blocked by their lobbying.
FORMING A TECHNO TRIANGLE
The US, India, Japan and Australia have formed the Indo-Pacific Quadrilateral Alliance, and this is a legacy that the 46th President of the US is likely to not just continue with, but strengthen. Contrary to the dissemination of perceptions that he is an apologist for the PRC, Joe Biden is known to be focused on the US interest. In such a context, the chances are high that the signing of the defence and security Foundation Agreements (one under Barack Obama and two under Donald Trump, all cleared during the period in office of Prime Minister Narendra Modi) will clear the way for major defence manufacturers in the US to set up segments of their production facilities in India, so that they can more effectively compete in costs with the competition that will soon come their way from the Sino-Russian alliance. Care needs to be taken by the Government of India to ensure that 100% ownership be permitted in defence rather than 75%. There is no reason why India should not permit full ownership for entities in partner countries in the defence production sector, especially in a situation where nearly 80% of core defence equipment is sourced from outside the country. Care needs to be taken to ensure that only companies that are based in friendly countries are allowed to enter into production, while those from countries with which there are tensions which could escalate, need to be kept out, as also those from countries that have a close military and security relationship with foes of India.
A similar welcome can be extended to US tech companies so that they source production not in the PRC but in the other country with a billion-plus population, India. The obsession of then Vice-President Dick Cheney with the domestic sourcing of items needed in the wars he helped begin together with President George W. Bush pushed up costs and was among the reasons why the economy of the country tanked during the final year (2008) of the 43rd President of the US. Value addition by the US to a proportion of components made elsewhere makes more sense than seeking to source the entire downstream production of items in the US in the manner that President Trump frequently announces as his goal. A possible winner would be the setting up of a Techno Triangle involving the US, India and Taiwan. This could evolve into a significant partnership in a context in which tech companies from both the US as well as Taiwan have begun a process of decoupling from the PRC. Tweaks in policy, such as permitting higher-level visits between Taipei and Delhi, would facilitate the process of relocation of Taiwanese manufacturing and other supply chains from the PRC to India. Just as there were advantages to locating production facilities in the PRC during 1981-96, there are significant advantages to locating in India. This would especially be the case once Prime Minister Modi goes ahead with simplifying and compressing administrative procedures and making them more transparent. Much has been achieved in this direction during the Covid-19 pandemic, but several more reforms need to follow to ensure that India becomes a global manufacturing hub in the manner that the PRC became during the years when Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping was leading that country.
INDIA’S DAUGHTER
Incoming Vice-President of the United States, Kamala Devi Harris, was brought up by her mother, who had deep roots in India. She is no Bobby Jindal, seeking to cover up both ethnicity and identity. Her Vice-Presidential visit to Tamil Nadu via Delhi will be an event that will generate a festive atmosphere in that state. Both she as well as her husband Doug and her “manas putri” Ella and “manas putra” Cole would love such a visit to the country that Kamala’s mother called home. There have been posters in Tamil Nadu celebrating the California politician’s ascent in politics and prayers in multiple locations were held for her success in the 3 November polls, which seem to have been answered. Coming from a state where Indian-Americans are ubiquitous, it is surprising to come across numerous social media posts asserting the proposition that the first term Senator did not identify with the country from where her mother hailed from.
US Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris also has roots in Jamaica, a country that has some of the friendliest people on the planet, but overall she is—like other citizens in her country of multiple ethnicities—quintessentially from the country where she was born in and which she has from her childhood considered as home. A country that has elected her as the fist woman Vice-President of the US, and the first non-white to hold that post. A country that is finally moving towards a partnership with India, a bonding that ought to have taken place decades ago but somehow eluded policymakers on both sides, although the people of both countries have formed a dense network of relationships, including in business, health and education. Just as Mike Pence has been an effective second-in-command to President Trump, so will be Vice-President Kamala Harris to President Joe Biden. Even after they step down, Donald Trump and Mike Pence will be welcome in India anytime. Pence, in particular, has distinguished himself through a clear view on global geopolitics that understands the stark reality of the situation that is confronting the US in the shape of Cold War 2.0.
Just as President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill signed the Atlantic Charter, the need has arrived for President Biden and Prime Minister Modi to sign the Indo-Pacific Charter. This would enshrine the centrality of preventing aggression by predatory powers in the Indo-Pacific, and serve as a framework for cooperation on the basis of agreed principles. It would energize and give heart to ASEAN and further stabilize South Asia minus a particular country that its military has tethered to the PLA. Donald Trump has been a success where India-US ties are concerned. President Barack Obama established a legacy of trust together with PM Modi. This has been carried forward in a robust manner by his successor Donald Trump, unlike almost all the other signature policies of the 44rth President of the US. Rather than result in a rollback, the odds are that the period in office of the incoming President and Vice-President of the US will ensure an even closer partnership between the two biggest democracies. Such a pairing is essential in an era when the values both believe in are under threat.
Diwali celebrations in the UK cities have become probably the largest outside India. Diwali is celebrated at the residence of the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, at the House of Commons with cross Party Parliamentarians joining in the celebrations as we are today. Diwali at Trafalgar Square is attended by thousands of people, including tourists visiting the capital who are mesmerized to see the colourful pageant of music, dance and food …. Writes Lord Rami Ranger
Lord Rami Ranger CBE
Diwali is the most important, grandest and an immensely popular Indian festival which is now celebrated all over the world as the globally dispersed Indian Diaspora spreads this epic message of the triumph of good over evil. As the Indians across the globe become increasingly successful and vibrant, they are able to celebrate their festivals, especially Diwali with great pomp and show.
By preserving and propagating their culture, they have made the countries of their domicile richer and more colourful. Indian cuisine, music, jewellery and dresses are becoming increasingly popular with people from all backgrounds and ethnicities. Diwali is perhaps the only festival for which the celebrations last for several weeks and even months as there are pre Diwali and post Diwali parties which run right up to Christmas. Gifts and sweets are exchanged with near and dear ones.
In fact, Diwali brings happiness and lifts everyone’s mood and spirits, which in turn induce a fresh zeal in everyone. As this is a family event, it is enjoyed by everyone, including the host communities. As a matter of fact, many Governments across the world encourage and celebrate Diwali with the local population. Diwali celebrations in the UK cities have become probably the largest outside India. Diwali is celebrated at the residence of the Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, at the House of Commons with cross Party Parliamentarians joining in the celebrations as we are today. Diwali at Trafalgar Square is attended by thousands of people, including tourists visiting the capital who are mesmerized to see the colourful pageant of music, dance and food.
As a matter of fact, this is the only day when the three great religions of the world, Hindus, Sikhs and Jains celebrate this day jointly but also for different reasons too. The Hindus celebrate the return of Lord Rama with his wife and brother to his Kingdom of Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years. During his return, the streets and towns were lit up with Diwas (candles) to welcome them home.
The Sikhs on the other hand celebrate Diwali as ‘Bandhi Chhorh Day’. On this day their 6th Guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib arrived in Amritsar after being released from Gwalior prison by the then Mughal King, Jahengir. The Guru refused to leave the prison unless the 52 Hindu princes who were also in prison at that time were also released. The Emperor agreed on one condition that who so ever could hold on to the Guru’s cloak would be free to leave the prison. The Guru had a cloak especially made with 52 corners with strings attached so that each prince could hold onto one. Thus all 52 princes were free to walk out of prison with the Guru holding on to the corners of the cloak.
The Jains celebrate Diwali as on this day Lord Mahavira, the last Jain Tirthankaras, achieved Nirvana at a Pavapuri. Sri Ganadhar Gautam Swami also achieved absolute wisdom on this day. This is what makes Diwali a very special day for so many.
As a matter of fact behind these celebrations there is serious message of preserving self-respect, family honour and sacrifice for others. Lord Rama left the comforts of his kingdom with his devout wife and loyal brother to uphold self-respect and family honour.
In the process, he showed the world that without these attributes, the world would be a more selfish place. Presently, we are witnessing how even now in the world today how some rulers for their selfish gains hold onto their power by suppressing and oppressing their own people. Lord Rama on the other hand walked away from the throne to demonstrate that nothing was more important than preserving honour, be it his own or that of his family.
Lord Rama also demonstrated that if one’s path was righteous, then even the cleverest and most powerful Kings with huge armies could be defeated. The message of loyalty was shown to the world by wife Sita and brother Laxman too. The Sikh Guru Hargobind Sahib demonstrated care and concern for others as a prerequisite for a civil society. He did not leave prison until his fellow inmates were also released. Regrettably, we now see more and more of an “I am alright Jack” approach in the world with a dire consequence to everyone. Increasingly we are showing less care and concern for the elderly, the young and the weak in our society.
This is a sad indictment of our behaviour when we choose to ignore the ideals Lord Rama and Gurus who paid supreme sacrifices and set examples by living a life of high morals so that we too could lead fuller and happier lives. I would like everyone to reflect on the actual and deeper meaning of Diwali and follow the ideals of Lord Rama.
Dubai Ruler Joins Diwali Festivities – read more – Dubai – Asian Lite Daily Digital WEEKEND – Nov 14-15, 2020 – please click here to Read the full edition – https://bit.ly/2JXdAoq
Russia Shifts Support To India at SCO; India Awaits Better Biz Ties With Biden; Happy Green Diwali; The Significance of Diwali – all in India Daily Digital – please click here to read the edition.
A favourable base effect, along with inventory build-up prior to the festive season, accelerated India’s industrial activity on both sequential as well as on the year-on-year basis in September, official data showed on Thursday.
Accordingly, India’s factory output inched-up by 0.2 per cent on YoY basis. The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) had recorded a de-growth of (-) 4.6 per cent during the corresponding period of last year.
Significantly, this is the first time in the last six months that IIP readings on a YoY basis has shown a growth.
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, in the Quick Estimates of IIP document, said the current index readings should not be compared with those of the months preceding the Covid-19 pandemic.
“With the gradual relaxation of restrictions, there has been a relative improvement in the economic activities by varying degrees as well as in data reporting,” the ministry said in the document.
Among major segments, manufacturing production de-grew by (-) 0.6 per cent from (-) 4.3 per cent reported for the corresponding month of last year.
However, electricity generation grew by 4.9 per cent from (-) 2.6 per cent during September 2019.
Similarly, mining output rose by 1.4 per cent on a YoY basis.
Furthermore, the data on a YoY basis showed that manufacturing of primary goods de-grew by (-) 1.5 per cent, capital goods by (-) 3.3 per cent, and intermediate goods (-) 1.4 per cent.
On the other hand, the production of infrastructure or construction goods inched up by 0.7 per cent and consumer durables by 2.8 per cent.
The sub-segment of consumer non-durables showed a growth of 4.1 per cent.
Former US president Barack Obama’s new book ‘A Promised Land’ lands a sharp left hook on Rahul Gandhi’s “nervous, uninformed quality” while directing warm, not-so-political praise at Rahul’s mother Sonia Gandhi, according to a book review Thursday in the New York Times.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The first rush of book excerpts swirling on the internet point to a brutal takedown of Rahul Gandhi. “Rahul Gandhi has a nervous, unformed quality about him, as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject,” notes the review.
“We are told of the handsomeness of men like Charlie Crist and Rahm Emanuel, but not the beauty of women, except for one or two instances, as in the case of Sonia Gandhi,” writes reviewer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh both are clubbed into a subset of people who have a “kind of impassive integrity.”
Writing about Joe Biden, Obama senses he “might get prickly if he thought he wasn’t given his due – a quality that might flare up when dealing with a much younger boss.”
Obama’s other books include ‘Dreams from My Father’, ‘The Audacity of Hope’, and ‘Change we can Believe in’.
