''India: A Rising Power''

[candypreet]

''India: A Rising Power''
ince the end of the Cold War, the United States underwent major strategic reassessments of its capabilities and geopolitical reach around the globe. As the threat of a single force -- the U.S.S.R. -- receded and then disappeared altogether, new challenges arose. One such challenge was the relationship with several countries that began to gain clout and importance on the world's political, military and economic scene. While Washington's attention has been fixed on the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China, a country somewhat neglected by U.S. policymakers steadily gained in importance and has the potential of being one of the world's major geopolitical players -- India.

During the Cold War, India's interests and aspirations were largely subordinated to the strategies of its chief ally, the U.S.S.R. The checkerboard pattern of the Cold War alliances placed democratic, though socialist-oriented, India in the Soviet camp, while the U.S. supported its rival, Pakistan. India's relationship with the U.S.S.R. did not preclude it from pursuing its own policy towards China, with whom it fought a losing conflict in the early 1960s, or towards Pakistan itself, which was defeated twice and finally dismembered by India in 1971.

Its Cold War alliance gave India access to much-needed industrial and military technology. While home to the world's second largest population after China, India has remained backward and underdeveloped for decades after its independence due to the policies and approaches of its successive governments. While each government has attempted to enrich the state through various political and economic means, these developments have been hampered by the near-monumental task of lifting its people out of poverty through ways that would be acceptable to all strata of the population.

After 1991, as the U.S.S.R. fell apart, India's policies were no longer strongly tied or connected to any one country. Since that time, it has aggressively pursued its own independent agenda. And while Washington policymakers were keenly aware of the developments on the Eurasian subcontinent for decades, they "suddenly" discovered India in the post-1991 world as an energetic and driven country with the full potential of becoming a major player in world affairs in the coming decades.

India's future rise to prominence will not be a result of a Cold War-style alliance, but the culmination of several factors that will allow it to harness the full potential of the country. First, its emergence as one of Eurasia's chief economies will be both a combination of its economic improvement and the sheer numbers of its population. Since the late 1980s, India's economy has started on the slow, but inevitable, path towards marketization. This ongoing endeavor will take many more years to complete, as India's economy has been structured in order to grant the government a major decision-making role. This has inevitably given rise to a plethora of protectionist laws and subsidies, which now stand in the way of full market-oriented economic reform. Such a protectionist economy now employs hundreds of millions of people, and Western-style reforms and restructuring will affect them in profound ways. Still, India is slowly proceeding with market reforms, and these initial efforts are producing necessary results.

India's well-educated, young population has embraced state-of-the-art computer and information technologies, making their country one of the most important high-tech hubs in the world. Its information technology and computer companies in Bangalore have been named as the world's second Silicon Valley. These companies and their founders had a major part in the high-tech and Internet boom in the United States in the late 1990s. While they are earning India its much-needed currency, this success is mostly limited, as the rest of the country lags far behind -- nearly a third of India's population still lives below the national poverty line.

In 2003, the Economist did a comparative study of India and China, and although it concluded that, for the time being, China's state-sanctioned market policies are far ahead of India's in terms of internal development and foreign direct investment, India has the potential to economically catch up to its large neighbor. Its middle class, soon to number in the hundreds of millions, is growing, and its consumer needs are contributing to domestic economic growth. This might generate its own set of problems, as the growing consumer demand will push the country's natural resources to the limit.

For now, increased demand for foreign investment and technical expertise means that the United States stands to benefit from this trend, though certain detriments to this relationship can be generated. English-speaking India is a destination for many jobs currently being outsourced by the United States, an issue that might figure prominently during the November presidential elections. Nonetheless, while India's full economic recovery is years away, the conditions already exist for this process to bear fruit in the near future.

India's second contribution to its rise as a regional and global power is its military establishment. Already, India has one of the world's largest armed forces. Its indigenous military development is producing the desired results, fielding everything from tanks and armored vehicles to jet fighters and advanced naval vessels. The Indian Navy already has the largest presence in the Indian Ocean after the United States, and fields an aircraft carrier, which allows it to extend operations beyond its immediate landmass. Having fought several wars against Pakistan, India's current military is twice as large as its rival.

Both countries' acquisition and testing of nuclear weapons by 1998 has leveled the playing field in case of a war and has also focused international attention on the subcontinent. While both India and Pakistan are currently developing short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the initial scare of the first nuclear showdown between the two states has passed. There does not appear to be that great a possibility of both countries exchanging nuclear strikes on each other's cities, though major tension remains between the two over Pakistan's support of militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. At present, each country maintains a somewhat nervous finger on the nuclear trigger. To further dissipate this tension, India has recently engaged in public reconciliation moves, with its former prime minister traveling to Pakistan for a series of high-profile sports events.

The Indian Air Force has recently demonstrated that it can be counted among the world's top by besting American aircraft in a series of joint war games. Its air power not only includes twice as many aircraft as Pakistan's, but also is qualitatively better than the much-bigger Chinese air force. India has hundreds of modern aircraft in its inventory, including state-of-the-art Su-30, Mig-29, Jaguars and Mirage 2000. It also possesses long-range bombers that are capable of targeting most of China almost unchallenged. India maintains this lead by purchasing high-tech weapons systems from Russia, and augmenting them with domestically produced avionics equipment, as well as with equipment procured from other countries. As India begins to retire hundreds of its older aircraft, the modern replacements will strengthen its already powerful and battle-proven reach over the subcontinent and South Asia in general.

India has also been very active politically, strengthening its relationship with Russia through economic and military cooperation. The purchase of Russian military equipment is one of the ways India seeks to expand its influence. It is also active in the Central Asian countries through high-profile state visits and economic cooperation. India has a great interest in oil- and natural gas-rich Central Asia, and has expressed such interest in several pipeline projects that would give it access to much-needed energy reserves.

During the U.S.-led war against the Taliban, India maintained a limited presence in Tajikistan that allowed it to aid anti-Taliban forces and monitor the situation in the region. Given the growing Chinese and American influence in Central Asia, Russia might welcome India to serve as a counterbalance. India's trade with Russia is on the rise, and Indian economic presence and influence in Central Asia is expected to grow in the coming years.

At present, India is far from being one of the Eurasian superpowers, but all signs point to its coming emergence as such. The sheer numbers of its growing population that now stands at more than a billion, the expanding middle class, robust military establishment and the country's increasing sophistication in high-technology are shaping India as one of the rising political, economic and military powers. This rise is inevitable and has profound implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Unlike China, which is now seen by some U.S. policymakers as a potential rival, the U.S. will be gaining a powerful ally in India. India is the world's largest democracy and although its politics are often driven by nationalistic demands, in general, it aspires to similar democratic goals and principles as the United States. However, India views U.S. support of Pakistan with guarded suspicion. On the one hand, Pakistan gained pivotal importance to the U.S. in the "war on terrorism." On the other, the Pakistani military supports its own militants in Kashmir that attack India's security targets. It will be all the more important for the U.S. to maintain a careful balance between what it now regards as a short- to possibly long-term interest -- Pakistan's fight against al-Qaeda -- and its possible long-term objectives, such as India as a rising power with all the requisite clout.

Furthermore, in the emerging geopolitical picture, it is India, rather than Russia, that can check the rising Chinese influence in Eurasia, and Washington's closer cooperation with this subcontinental power can help enhance its own influence. India's proximity to Afghanistan and its own war against Muslim fundamentalists in Jammu and Kashmir make it a potentially powerful ally in the global fight against terrorism.

Most importantly, India's drive for greater power status is driven by intense domestic sentiment, which has viewed the last five centuries of foreign domination with growing contempt. It will not welcome foreign influence that will be viewed as limiting its own potential. In the near future, in order to strengthen its bonds with India, the United States will have to structure its own policies with this country on equal terms. Finally free from foreign restraints and largely bound by its own domestic agenda, India stands the chance of emerging as one of the main players in Eurasian and global affairs.

Report Drafted By:
Yevgeny Bendersky



The Power and Interest News Report (PINR) is an independent organization that utilizes open source intelligence to provide conflict analysis services in the context of international relations. PINR approaches a subject based upon the powers and interests involved, leaving the moral judgments to the reader. This report may not be reproduced, reprinted or broadcast without the written permission of inquiries@pinr.com. All comments should be directed to content@pinr.com.

[Stealth]

In my opinion, in the next 50-100 years, countries in Asia such as China, India, and a cluster of far eastern countries (which will all become one nation), will emerge to be greater super powers than any of the countries in the West including the U.S.

[candypreet]

well thats what my wealth manager tells me too.

[TomJones]

I would like to see a strong Indian-US alliance, but it just won't happen. As long as the US supports Pakistan, and India supports Russia, both countries will harbor some not so nice feelings. Also the Hindu community isn't all that thrilled with the Wests Christian missionaries making them a prime target for conversions (not saying I blame them). Plus more recently India trying to get a permanent seat with veto power in the UN (US doesn't want this).

There are some good signs though, some military cooperation, US allowing Israeli sales on joint ventures to India, and economically, both have much to gain from each other in the future.



PS. Kind of off topic but I read an article about China and Pakistan building a joint fighter plane, this if used would be most likely built to use against India, problem is, even brand new won't be advanced as some current Indian aircraft. I'll try to find the link if I can.

[CHE]

India is last millennium’s news. Don't get me wrong, they still have a lot of headroom. But everybody is praising their "tech" economy, and unlike China, they are experiencing wage pressure (not pricing pressure) from the US and elsewhere. "Tech" companies are already being priced out of Bangalore and moving to other cities. In the next decade they won't cost much less than US stateside personnel except for the basic artificial economic advantages such as lack of environmental regulation, etc.

China, on the other hand, the sky is the limit.

[candypreet]

thanks for the comments

[Tomahawk]

In my opinion, in the next 50-100 years, countries in Asia such as China, India, and a cluster of far eastern countries (which will all become one nation), will emerge to be greater super powers than any of the countries in the West including the U.S.lol If they can figure out how to feed themselves on the dwindling farm-able land. And If the world doesn't fight some kind of destabilizing war that would ultimately destroy weaker economies.

"All one nation", not in a thousand years. You may view Koreans on the same level as the Chinese or the Vietnamese. But they see themselves and their cultures as non integrate-able. Sort of like the French and the English.

[Tomahawk]

''India: A Rising Power''
ince the end of the Cold War, the United States underwent major strategic reassessments of its capabilities and geopolitical reach around the globe. As the threat of a single force -- the U.S.S.R. -- receded and then disappeared altogether, new challenges arose. One such challenge was the relationship with several countries that began to gain clout and importance on the world's political, military and economic scene. While Washington's attention has been fixed on the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and China, a country somewhat neglected by U.S. policymakers steadily gained in importance and has the potential of being one of the world's major geopolitical players -- India.

During the Cold War, India's interests and aspirations were largely subordinated to the strategies of its chief ally, the U.S.S.R. The checkerboard pattern of the Cold War alliances placed democratic, though socialist-oriented, India in the Soviet camp, while the U.S. supported its rival, Pakistan. India's relationship with the U.S.S.R. did not preclude it from pursuing its own policy towards China, with whom it fought a losing conflict in the early 1960s, or towards Pakistan itself, which was defeated twice and finally dismembered by India in 1971.

Its Cold War alliance gave India access to much-needed industrial and military technology. While home to the world's second largest population after China, India has remained backward and underdeveloped for decades after its independence due to the policies and approaches of its successive governments. While each government has attempted to enrich the state through various political and economic means, these developments have been hampered by the near-monumental task of lifting its people out of poverty through ways that would be acceptable to all strata of the population.

After 1991, as the U.S.S.R. fell apart, India's policies were no longer strongly tied or connected to any one country. Since that time, it has aggressively pursued its own independent agenda. And while Washington policymakers were keenly aware of the developments on the Eurasian subcontinent for decades, they "suddenly" discovered India in the post-1991 world as an energetic and driven country with the full potential of becoming a major player in world affairs in the coming decades.

India's future rise to prominence will not be a result of a Cold War-style alliance, but the culmination of several factors that will allow it to harness the full potential of the country. First, its emergence as one of Eurasia's chief economies will be both a combination of its economic improvement and the sheer numbers of its population. Since the late 1980s, India's economy has started on the slow, but inevitable, path towards marketization. This ongoing endeavor will take many more years to complete, as India's economy has been structured in order to grant the government a major decision-making role. This has inevitably given rise to a plethora of protectionist laws and subsidies, which now stand in the way of full market-oriented economic reform. Such a protectionist economy now employs hundreds of millions of people, and Western-style reforms and restructuring will affect them in profound ways. Still, India is slowly proceeding with market reforms, and these initial efforts are producing necessary results.

India's well-educated, young population has embraced state-of-the-art computer and information technologies, making their country one of the most important high-tech hubs in the world. Its information technology and computer companies in Bangalore have been named as the world's second Silicon Valley. These companies and their founders had a major part in the high-tech and Internet boom in the United States in the late 1990s. While they are earning India its much-needed currency, this success is mostly limited, as the rest of the country lags far behind -- nearly a third of India's population still lives below the national poverty line.

In 2003, the Economist did a comparative study of India and China, and although it concluded that, for the time being, China's state-sanctioned market policies are far ahead of India's in terms of internal development and foreign direct investment, India has the potential to economically catch up to its large neighbor. Its middle class, soon to number in the hundreds of millions, is growing, and its consumer needs are contributing to domestic economic growth. This might generate its own set of problems, as the growing consumer demand will push the country's natural resources to the limit.

For now, increased demand for foreign investment and technical expertise means that the United States stands to benefit from this trend, though certain detriments to this relationship can be generated. English-speaking India is a destination for many jobs currently being outsourced by the United States, an issue that might figure prominently during the November presidential elections. Nonetheless, while India's full economic recovery is years away, the conditions already exist for this process to bear fruit in the near future.

India's second contribution to its rise as a regional and global power is its military establishment. Already, India has one of the world's largest armed forces. Its indigenous military development is producing the desired results, fielding everything from tanks and armored vehicles to jet fighters and advanced naval vessels. The Indian Navy already has the largest presence in the Indian Ocean after the United States, and fields an aircraft carrier, which allows it to extend operations beyond its immediate landmass. Having fought several wars against Pakistan, India's current military is twice as large as its rival.

Both countries' acquisition and testing of nuclear weapons by 1998 has leveled the playing field in case of a war and has also focused international attention on the subcontinent. While both India and Pakistan are currently developing short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, the initial scare of the first nuclear showdown between the two states has passed. There does not appear to be that great a possibility of both countries exchanging nuclear strikes on each other's cities, though major tension remains between the two over Pakistan's support of militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir. At present, each country maintains a somewhat nervous finger on the nuclear trigger. To further dissipate this tension, India has recently engaged in public reconciliation moves, with its former prime minister traveling to Pakistan for a series of high-profile sports events.

The Indian Air Force has recently demonstrated that it can be counted among the world's top by besting American aircraft in a series of joint war games. Its air power not only includes twice as many aircraft as Pakistan's, but also is qualitatively better than the much-bigger Chinese air force. India has hundreds of modern aircraft in its inventory, including state-of-the-art Su-30, Mig-29, Jaguars and Mirage 2000. It also possesses long-range bombers that are capable of targeting most of China almost unchallenged. India maintains this lead by purchasing high-tech weapons systems from Russia, and augmenting them with domestically produced avionics equipment, as well as with equipment procured from other countries. As India begins to retire hundreds of its older aircraft, the modern replacements will strengthen its already powerful and battle-proven reach over the subcontinent and South Asia in general.

India has also been very active politically, strengthening its relationship with Russia through economic and military cooperation. The purchase of Russian military equipment is one of the ways India seeks to expand its influence. It is also active in the Central Asian countries through high-profile state visits and economic cooperation. India has a great interest in oil- and natural gas-rich Central Asia, and has expressed such interest in several pipeline projects that would give it access to much-needed energy reserves.

During the U.S.-led war against the Taliban, India maintained a limited presence in Tajikistan that allowed it to aid anti-Taliban forces and monitor the situation in the region. Given the growing Chinese and American influence in Central Asia, Russia might welcome India to serve as a counterbalance. India's trade with Russia is on the rise, and Indian economic presence and influence in Central Asia is expected to grow in the coming years.

At present, India is far from being one of the Eurasian superpowers, but all signs point to its coming emergence as such. The sheer numbers of its growing population that now stands at more than a billion, the expanding middle class, robust military establishment and the country's increasing sophistication in high-technology are shaping India as one of the rising political, economic and military powers. This rise is inevitable and has profound implications for U.S. foreign policy.

Unlike China, which is now seen by some U.S. policymakers as a potential rival, the U.S. will be gaining a powerful ally in India. India is the world's largest democracy and although its politics are often driven by nationalistic demands, in general, it aspires to similar democratic goals and principles as the United States. However, India views U.S. support of Pakistan with guarded suspicion. On the one hand, Pakistan gained pivotal importance to the U.S. in the "war on terrorism." On the other, the Pakistani military supports its own militants in Kashmir that attack India's security targets. It will be all the more important for the U.S. to maintain a careful balance between what it now regards as a short- to possibly long-term interest -- Pakistan's fight against al-Qaeda -- and its possible long-term objectives, such as India as a rising power with all the requisite clout.

Furthermore, in the emerging geopolitical picture, it is India, rather than Russia, that can check the rising Chinese influence in Eurasia, and Washington's closer cooperation with this subcontinental power can help enhance its own influence. India's proximity to Afghanistan and its own war against Muslim fundamentalists in Jammu and Kashmir make it a potentially powerful ally in the global fight against terrorism.

Most importantly, India's drive for greater power status is driven by intense domestic sentiment, which has viewed the last five centuries of foreign domination with growing contempt. It will not welcome foreign influence that will be viewed as limiting its own potential. In the near future, in order to strengthen its bonds with India, the United States will have to structure its own policies with this country on equal terms. Finally free from foreign restraints and largely bound by its own domestic agenda, India stands the chance of emerging as one of the main players in Eurasian and global affairs.

Report Drafted By:
Yevgeny Bendersky



The Power and Interest News Report (PINR) is an independent organization that utilizes open source intelligence to provide conflict analysis services in the context of international relations. PINR approaches a subject based upon the powers and interests involved, leaving the moral judgments to the reader. This report may not be reproduced, reprinted or broadcast without the written permission of inquiries@pinr.com. All comments should be directed to content@pinr.com.India is a great culture. And it has a huge population that is just now being cultivated by various corporations from around the globe. The gnp increased 8% last year and has had an average increase of 2 to 5% since the mid 90's. That's good for everyone.

Indias nuclear weapons program has been handled by professionals in the military and will continue to be regarded as the countries greatest achievement of the past 3 decades. At least this can be said India in my opinion is far more responsible with their nuclear equipment and weapons programs then Pakistan will ever be. And I feel that they are to be completely trusted in any matters pertaining to nuclear arms and their safe guarding.

[candypreet]

thank you for reading my posts tomAHAWK

[oslonor]

Actually Afghanistan is a rising power too.

Read this:

These are reasons that we think an "Afghan Empire" is necessary and is possible.

The Rise of Afghan Empire

1. Afghanistan is culturally a homogenous country. In anthropology, Afghans are regarded as an Iranian people. (Note: This has nothing to do with Citizens of Iran, the neighboring country, we are talking about anthropology). The majority speak some branch of an Iranian language. Tajiks, Pashtuns and Nuristanis are the major Iranian groups. Hazaras are non-Iranian but speak dari, an Iranian language. Uzbeks are turks, but their language and culture have been deeply influenced by the Iranian culture and language. Even Uzbek grammar has been affected by Iranian language grammar rules.

2. An "Afghan Empire" is supported by the all regional powers and the Great powers outside the region. India, China and Russia and US will support an "Afghan Empire".


The Rise of Afghan Empire
http://afghanempire.blogspot.com/

[candypreet]

thats nice

[candypreet]

SA aims for $12bn trade with India by 2010

New Delhi, India
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=283838&area=/breaking_news/breaking_news__business/

[candypreet]

:happy_01: :) :) :happy_01:

[shadow_wolf]

Well, India does have all the ingedients needed.....It's just a matter of time.

[Tomahawk]

Haha candy I didn't even realize that you from India untill just now. =]

[candypreet]

..........................................:) :) ..................................

[candypreet]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601091&sid=atckoC0OzedI&refer=india

[bigearth]

''India: A Rising Power''
...with 300 MILLLION people below the poverty line...a third of the world's poor live in india...

the dallits have to scrape SHIT for a living...seriously..."scavenging", it's called...makes you want to throw up watching it...

the dallits are treating like pre-1960's african americans...their class system is essentially racism...



india will one day be important...it's got a LONG way to go...


hampered, not least of which, by the pathetic small mindedness of their silly nationalism that dictates they MUST buy nuclear weapons and aim them at pakistan, before feeding it's people...



must do (much) better...

[bigearth]

Actually Afghanistan is a rising power too.

Read this:

These are reasons that we think an "Afghan Empire" is necessary and is possible.

The Rise of Afghan Empire

1. Afghanistan is culturally a homogenous country. In anthropology, Afghans are regarded as an Iranian people. (Note: This has nothing to do with Citizens of Iran, the neighboring country, we are talking about anthropology). The majority speak some branch of an Iranian language. Tajiks, Pashtuns and Nuristanis are the major Iranian groups. Hazaras are non-Iranian but speak dari, an Iranian language. Uzbeks are turks, but their language and culture have been deeply influenced by the Iranian culture and language. Even Uzbek grammar has been affected by Iranian language grammar rules.

2. An "Afghan Empire" is supported by the all regional powers and the Great powers outside the region. India, China and Russia and US will support an "Afghan Empire".


The Rise of Afghan Empire
http://afghanempire.blogspot.com/
very interesting...


the hasaris are descendents of ghengis khan who invaded and they stayed...you can see it in their faces, they look mongolian...they live in the hindu kush...

[bigearth]

In my opinion, in the next 50-100 years, countries in Asia such as China, India, and a cluster of far eastern countries (which will all become one nation), will emerge to be greater super powers than any of the countries in the West including the U.S.

IF, they don't descend into civil war.


there are 200m middle-class chinese, they have cars and mobile phones...

watching them are 800m chinese who are poor...


"india" never was 1 country, but a loose federation of feifdoms, not too similar too europe...the british established the idea of a single indian entity...


don't ignore the fact that it could de construct...i don't think it will, it's gone too far down the road, but don't presume that the future is rosy and all the predictions of economic powerhouses will come true...


civil unrest has a nasty habit of spooking businessmen...when that happens people return to quality...

[clavin42]

IF, they don't descend into civil war.


\...

And that is a big IF.:add09:

[bigearth]

Haha candy I didn't even realize that you from India untill just now. =]
apart from the millions of threads she posts knocking every single thing she can about pakistan and promoting indea, you mean?!

[bigearth]

And that is a big IF.:add09:

lol!


you said that with real confidence...;)

[candypreet]

IF, they don't descend into civil war.


there are 200m middle-class chinese, they have cars and mobile phones...

watching them are 800m chinese who are poor...


"india" never was 1 country, but a loose federation of feifdoms, not too similar too europe...the british established the idea of a single indian entity...


don't ignore the fact that it could de construct...i don't think it will, it's gone too far down the road, but don't presume that the future is rosy and all the predictions of economic powerhouses will come true...


civil unrest has a nasty habit of spooking businessmen...when that happens people return to quality...

yes there is a vast difference between the "have's and the have-nots" and that is one thing which does scare me

[bigearth]

see what i mean?

India sets up land reforms panels

http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/images/2007/10/29/1_231969_1_5.jpg
Protesters say they have been left behind while the rest of India has enjoyed an economic boom [EPA]

India is setting up a panel to resolve disputes over distribution and acquisition of land after violent protests by farmers who fear losing their land.

Land has been the issue at the centre of a stand-off between farmers and government agencies trying to acquire farms for industrial development.

The panel announced on Monday will create policies, guide states and monitor the progress of land distribution and quick disposal of compensation disputes, a government statement said.

A day before, tens of thousands of Indian farmers converged in Delhi to protest the loss of their land.

About 27,000 protesters marched nearly 350km from the central Indian city of Gwalior for about a month before arriving in the capital.

The protesters, marching in long lines and waving flags, chanted "Give us land, give us water" as they gathered in the city.

The demonstrators say they have not only been left behind by India's recent economic boom, but have also suffered directly with many forced from their land to make way for government-backed economic projects.

Landless

"Forty per cent of Indians are now landless and 23 per cent of them are in abject poverty," Puthan Vithal Rajgopal, an organiser of the march, said.

The new panel, whose recommendations will be non-binding, will include government officials and independent experts on land reforms.

http://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/images/2007/10/29/1_231970_1_3.jpg
More than 25,000 protesters joined the month-long march to Delhi [EPA]

Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, the union minister for rural development, speaking to the protesers on Monday, said:
"A committee will be formed in a month to look into the state agrarian relations and incomplete land reforms.

"The committee, with a 50-50 membership of the government and social activists will submit its report to the National Land Reforms Council to be formed under the chairmanship of the prime minister".

Several big projects, including a $12bn steel plant by Posco, a South Korean company, face delays because of stand-offs with farmers unwilling to give up their land.

India's vague property laws and endemic corruption add to the the plight of Indian farmers where they are forced off their land by powerful local landowners.

Millions of landless rural poor across India complain there has been little progress in identifying illegal ownership and distributing land equitably despite decades of reforms.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/78D26866-44CA-4D26-8781-F021887A3055.htm

[wanderer1]

Also the Hindu community isn't all that thrilled with the Wests Christian missionaries making them a prime target for conversions (not saying I blame them).

Xtian fanatics should, for once in their life, mind their own damn business.

[TurnOrBurn]

In my opinion, in the next 50-100 years, countries in Asia such as China, India, and a cluster of far eastern countries (which will all become one nation), will emerge to be greater super powers than any of the countries in the West including the U.S.

Interesting speculation. Here's what the Bible says however. A revived version of the Roman empire will gain world preeminence. It's leader will be a wildly popular dictator and eventually he will demand to be worshipped as a God. Russia and China will balk at his demands. Russia apparently doesn't fare to well, however China will march her armies (some 200 million) all the way to the Middle east for a final showdown. That march will slaughter about 1/4 of the worlds population.

All the armies of the east and the west will be destroyed by a third power that emerges on the scene. That power will be Jesus Christ, with hordes of resurrected christians in his army all imbued with angelic power. The earthly armies will be utterly destroyed.

The marching armies are referred to as the kings of the east so it may actually be China, India, Japan or some alliance of these countries.

[SCHICK]

Interesting speculation. Here's what the Bible says however. A revived version of the Roman empire will gain world preeminence. It's leader will be a wildly popular dictator and eventually he will demand to be worshipped as a God. Russia and China will balk at his demands. Russia apparently doesn't fare to well, however China will march her armies (some 200 million) all the way to the Middle east for a final showdown. That march will slaughter about 1/4 of the worlds population.

All the armies of the east and the west will be destroyed by a third power that emerges on the scene. That power will be Jesus Christ, with hordes of resurrected christians in his army all imbued with angelic power. The earthly armies will be utterly destroyed.

The marching armies are referred to as the kings of the east so it may actually be China, India, Japan or some alliance of these countries.

:mad_12: Does your bible tell you if India can beat Australia in the next Test series?

[candypreet]

:mad_12: Does your bible tell you if India can beat Australia in the next Test series?

:) :)

[bigearth]

Inequality threatens India’s economic boom

By Jo Johnson

Published: October 31 2007 18:45 | Last updated: October 31 2007 18:45

It is a fair bet that when the ruling elite of a poor developing country ignores a non-violent protest by 25,000 desperate citizens, it will soon face a violent one. When a 25,000-strong army of landless workers, indigenous tribespeople and “untouchables” from the bottom of Indian society marched 320km to Delhi to highlight the growing divide between haves and have-nots, they were met with crushing indifference. Admittedly, their timing was bad: Mumbai’s Sensex index on Monday punched through the 20,000 mark for the first time, triggering orgiastic self-congratulation by the English language media and eclipsing all other national news.

“The first 10,000 took over 20 years. The next came in just 20 months. Superpower 2020?” rhapsodised the front-page headline of the Economic Times, the cheerleader for a phenomenon it calls the ”global Indian takeover”. In their excitement, several other newspapers double-counted the value of all Mukesh Ambani’s stakes in various listed Reliance entities and erroneously concluded that he had overtaken Bill Gates and Carlos Slim to become the wealthiest person in the world, with investments valued at $63bn. Although that joyous moment may not be far off – the elder Ambani is worth nearer $50bn – it has not come yet.

As first-world India cheered the stockmarket, there was scarcely mention of the visitors from third-world India who had camped overnight in the old city. Feet swollen, mouths parched and hair matted, the protesters were physically detained in a gated enclosure throughout the day, denied the satisfaction of completing the symbolic last leg of their march down Parliament Street. The city’s police force had instructions to keep the capital spruce for visiting dignitaries, among them Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, Henry Paulson, US Treasury secretary, and dozens of chief executives in town for a lavish conference organised by Fortune.

The chief executives cocooned in the sandalwood-scented splendour of the Imperial Hotel would have learnt far more from the marchers than from the predictable fare on offer at the conference. From the stunted and wasted frames of the landless, they would have observed how malnutrition rates, already higher than in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, are rising in many places, as wages lag behind soaring food prices. They would have learnt how the 120m families who depend on the land for subsistence agriculture, generating no marketable surplus from one season to the next, live in terror of expropriation by state governments operating land scams in the name of development.

Fobbed off with promises of a committee to discuss land reform, the Gandhian leaders of the protest march sent a warning to the government: advocates of non-violent struggle are losing the argument to those with more radical ideologies. “Forty per cent of Indians are now landless and 23 per cent are in abject poverty,” said P.V. Rajagopal, vice-chairman of the Gandhi Peace Foundation, which co-ordinated the rally. “Such conditions have bred Maoist insurgency in 172 of India’s 600 districts and farmers are killing themselves in 100 other districts.
So we want to ask the government: where are the fruits of the reforms in these districts?”

It is in interests of western investors to listen. The capacity of Naxalite groups to disrupt the India growth story, by deterring investment in vast, resource-rich swathes of the country, is real. Posco, the South Korean steel group, knows from experience. Its plans to invest $12bn in a new plant in the Naxalite-infested state of Orissa, potentially the largest foreign direct investment in Indian manufacturing, have been stalled by protests for nearly four years: four of its officials were even kidnapped by locals deeply sceptical of promises of compensation and rehabilitation. They have been released, but the company is no nearer to taking possession of the several thousand acres needed.

Posco’s story highlights a much deeper crisis. It should raise important doubts about whether India will be able to attract the investment required to sustain its recent growth rates of more than 8.5 per cent. Investment as a share of gross domestic product has indeed risen sharply over the past three years, but it is skewed towards services. Attempts to start an industrial boom have backfired: a plan to promote Chinese-style special economic zones degenerated into a real estate racket. It displaced hundreds of thousands from their land, many of whom went uncompensated. The protests are becoming more violent: two people were shot this weekend as they fought plans for a chemical plant on 9,000 acres in West Bengal.

As no image-conscious investor wants blood on their hands, it is hardly surprising that FDI in Indian manufacturing has recently been declining. During the 12 months to January 2007, it fell to just $1.5bn from $1.8bn the previous year, according to Morgan Stanley. Manufacturing, notwithstanding pockets of excellence, is struggling to become globally competitive and failing to play its traditional role as a sponge for surplus rural labour. It is a vicious circle: until the hundreds of millions who eke out a subsistence existence in the villages are given reason to believe they will receive fair compensation for the loss of their land and incomes, and not just hot air, they will fight tooth and nail for the status quo, miserable as it is.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/dd8761a6-87b4-11dc-9464-0000779fd2ac.html

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Indian government pledges lavatories for all in a bid to keep private acts behind closed doors
By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi
Published: 02 November 2007

The Indian government has vowed to eradicate the all-too-common phenomenon of open-air defecation by building environmentally friendly lavatories for hundreds of millions of its poorest citizens.

The Rural Development minister, Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, claimed that within five years, the government will have built sufficient facilities for everyone – many years ahead of an international deadline.

He revealed that the government would spend around £125m on rural sanitation projects this year, a increase of 43 per cent on last year. He said: "By 2012, India will be free of defecation in the open and will meet international commitments in this regard."

The minister's pledge was delivered at the 4th World Toilet Summit in New Delhi which has brought together experts from more than 40 countries to discuss ways of providing affordable sanitation for the world's poorest people. The conference is largely the result of campaigning by Bindeshwar Pathak, the founder of a charity that provides public lavatories.

Mr Pathak told delegates: "To achieve the goals, what is essential is that technology needs to be urgently developed that is suitable and simple of implementation. Sewers or septic tanks are not the solutions. Doctors around the world now say that better sanitation and public hygiene are key for improving public health."

Since the 1970s, his organisation, Sulabh International, has developed simple composting toilets that turns waste into water, fertiliser for crops, and biogas that can be used to run generators or cook. His organisation has provided 6,500 public toilets, most recently in Kabul.

To prove the effectiveness of the Sulabh system, each of the delegates received, along with the usual commemorative pens and stickers, a sample of composted human waste recovered from a Sulabh toilet that had been mixed with glue and fashioned into a paper weight. They also received a small sachet of nitrogen-rich manure made from human waste. The World Health Organisation has estimated that around the globe up to 2.6 billion people – one third of the planet's entire population – do not have access to proper toilet facilities. More than half of them live in China and India, with the latter accounting for around 700 million people. The UN's target for providing proper facilities for all people is 2015.

Up to half a million people in India are engaged in "manual scavenging" – cleaning toilets that have no sewage system and carrying away waste or "night soil" on their heads or in carts. The practice has been officially outlawed but persists because in many places there are no alternatives.

One former scavenger, Sushila Chauhan from Alwar in Rajasthan, told delegates how, unlike most people in her dry, desert state, she hated the rain which spilled the waste she was carrying in a metal tray on her head all over her. She was "rehabilitated" by a training and education scheme provided by Dr Pathak's organisation. She said: "The nauseating acidic smell of human waste used to remain with me throughout the day, even hours after I would return from work. But worst of all there was a lack of appetite for food and everything good in life."

India's minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Meira Kumar, told the conference that the government would provide more resources for the rehabilitation of women such as Ms Chauhan.

Ms Kumar said: "We have banned the practice of manual scavenging and the government will complete the rehabilitation of all scavengers by March 2009. We launched a scheme for these people in January 2007 and the focus is to train scavengers for self-employment."

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3121185.ece