UPA146;s petrol scam

The Organiser8217;s unusual focus on economic has this week8217;s editorial supporting the discussion paper prepared by the National Security Council NSC seeking stricter norms in FDI clearance. Among the threats outlined in the paper is that foreign entities could deny India supply of their products or R038;D on the pretext of laws of their respective countries. The NSC paper, the editorial says, suggests that all agreements for FDI entered by state governments, Centre and PSUs should have a national security exception clause. It also states that FDI from countries such as China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and DPRK could threaten India8217;s security interests. Asserting that 8220;greed for FDI should not make us blind to national interest,8221; the editorial calls for a political consensus in favour of a law to insulate FDI clearances from breach of national security.

Ode to English

Dismayed over the quarrel between Karnataka and Maharashtra over Belgaum and the language policies of state governments, columnist M.V. Kamath asks: 8220;Where would India have been today had the British not taken over the country after cruelly subjugating all revolts and rebellions by 1857? Would we be where we are today?8221; His answer is that the English language saved us. He quotes Lord Macaulay8217;s famous Minute on Education, advocating the teaching of English to the natives in order to 8220;form a class who may be interpreters between us and the millions whom we govern, a class of persons, Indian in blood and colour, but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect8230;8221; Kamath says Macaulay8217;s subsequent lines aren8217;t so well known but equally significant for he said: 8220;To that class we may leave it to refine the vernacular dialects of the country, to enrich those dialects with terms of science borrowed from the western nomenclature and to render them by degrees for vehicles for conveying knowledge to the great mass of the population.8221; Kamath goes on, 8220;8230;Macaulay wanted Indians to learn English not for its own sake but for transmitting knowledge garnered through English to fellow Indians in their own mother tongues. To what extent Indians have fulfilled that role is debatable but today Macaulay must be turning in his grave to see that with their command over the English language, Indians are literally conquering the commercial world, and, even more ironically, are being recruited to teach English to English children in England.8221; To deny our children, the right to learn English 8220;is to deny them the right to rise to greater heights,8221; he insists.

8230;and the empire smiles back

A report from London on Conservative Party leader David Cameron8217;s visit to the Bhaktivedanta temple in Leicester earlier this month gives a detailed account of his 8220;lavish praise8221; on the achievements of Britain8217;s Hindu community. Cameron is quoted saying, 8220;Many of the values Hindus brought with them when they arrived here are those traditionally associated with Britain: tolerance, honesty, enterprise and respect for law.8221; Although Hindus made up one per cent of England and Wales8217; population, they are 0.025 per cent of the prison population, have the lowest level of unemployment of any minority community, have more commitment to family values, and are a 8220;vital element of the new Britain that we8217;re building together,8221; the Tory leader said. The report notes that Cameron 8220;connected with many in the large audience by supporting the demand that Hindus in Britain should be called 8216;British Hindus8217; or 8216;British Indians8217; and not 8216;British Asians.8217;8221;

Compiled by Manini Chatterjee