Sri Sri's Ram Mandir foray a deja vu of Vajpayee's tactic: Book
New Delhi, June 12: Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee kept a distance from the Ram temple movement and in private conversations objected to its agitational stance, according to a new book titled "Shades of Saffron: From Vajpayee to Modi" by seasoned journalist Saba Naqvi.
The book, said to reveal "hitherto unknown aspects" about the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), points out that Vajpayee openly admitted to "being irritated by questions about the Ram temple in Ayodhya".
But Naqvi, who has had the first-hand experience of covering the BJP for well over two decades, contends that "the building of a grand Ram temple was a core issue that the BJP couldn't afford to ignore".
"Vajpayee therefore made a subtle change in tack and said that it was no longer necessary for a BJP government to enact a legislation to build a temple at Ayodhya," Naqvi writes in the book, published by Westland.
"We will resolve the issue through dialogue -- the same way we resolved the Azadari dispute between the Shias and Sunnis of Lucknow. A law will not be needed," Vajpayee, who is currently undergoing treatment for urinary tract infection at the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) here, is quoted as saying in the book.
In this context, Naqvi explains that it is fascinating that the "issue is again central to the BJP as it heads for the 2019 general elections" with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the helm.
"There are still legal constraints on the party's desire to build a ‘magnificent Ram temple at Ayodhya' and the same path is again being trod almost two decades later by some individuals like Sri Sri Ravishankar who's trying to get stakeholders to resolve matters," Naqvi notes in the 284-page book.
She also points out that several informed people on both sides say that the long-awaited verdict on the disputed land "could be delivered in 2018", before the general elections.
"What's more, in May 2017, the Supreme Court of India also revived criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and Uma Bharti for bringing down the Babri mosque," she adds.
In the context of Ram mandir, the book also touches upon an earlier conversation between the author and late Kushabhau Thakre, who became party president of the BJP in 1998.
"‘Can anyone think about India without Ram?' he once asked me, but added with utmost honesty that ‘We can only implement our ideology if we have the strength to do so. Yeh sab hamara karyakram hai, lekin shakti nahin hai' (All this is in our agenda but we lack the strength to pursue it)," Naqvi recalls in the book.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had earlier told IANS that the best solution to the festering Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute is an out-of-court settlement under which the Muslims gift the land to the Hindus for building a grand Ram temple.
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India should aim to be among world's top 3 naval powers in 10-12 years: Rajnath Singh
Rajnath Singh reviews Project Seabird work in Karwar
Karwar, Jun 24: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said the naval base being developed here under "Project Seabird" should be Asia's biggest, and he would try to get budget allocation enhanced for it, if required.
He also said India should aim to be among one of the top three naval powers in the world in the next 10-12 years time.
"I had a curiosity before visiting Project Seabird to see and understand it...I'm happy seeing Karwar closely and can say that my confidence level has increased towards this naval base," Singh said.
Addressing the Indian Navy officers and sailors, he said, with the completion of the project, not only India's defence preparedness will be strengthened, but also the country's trade, economy and the humanitarian assistance that it provides will also get more strength.
"It is said that this will become India's largest naval base, but I have said not only India's, our wish is that this should become Asia's biggest naval base, and I will try to get budget allocation increased if required for this," he added.
Singh, accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, undertook an aerial survey of project area and sites, prior to arriving at INS Kadamba Helipad here.
Stating that during the aerial survey of the project, he could see its future, the Defence Minister said, the future of this naval base is "very bright" and the credit for this has to go to the officers and sailors.
"I have also seen the country's first sealift facility, which will improve our maintenance compared to earlier...so I say this naval base is different from the rest," he said.
Noting that India's strength is growing, Singh said, "..India is now among the five major naval powers in the world, we should aim to be among the top three in the next ten to twelve years."
Indian Navy's contribution in maritime and national security is immense, Singh said.
Not only him, but those with the knowledge on security-related issues are of the view that the Navy will play the most important role in the country's security in the future, he added.
Citing the role played by the navy in the past like the liberation of Goa, and India-Pakistan wars, among others, he said there is Navy's role in improving diplomatic relations and recalled the service rendered by it during the COVID pandemic, which has gained appreciation from other countries too.
"Some countries have come close to us, it is because of you," he said, adding, in this way not only as a defence power, the Navy has also safeguarded the country's global interests.
Highlighting the Navy's role in improving trade and cultural ties with other countries, Singh said, "we have 7,500 km of coastline, 1,100 islands, 25 lakh sq km of exclusive economic zones that can play an important role in the development of the world with the help of our capabilities and capacity."
"Sometimes we forget our own capability in front of other global powers.....with courage we can achieve things, victory can be achieved during a fight with courage and not only because of ammunition."
"You might have seen, we have proved it (victory with courage).. this time, I don't want to take any names, you are aware of it, it is in our defence forces," he said.
Noting the Navy's role in maintaining peace and development in the Indian Ocean Region, and in realising the PM's vision of 'SAGAR' (Security & Growth for All in Region), Singh said, at the time when economic and political relations are fast changing, there is a need for Indian Navy to be strengthened further.
"We have to be prepared for the future, we will have to improve our capacity and capability," he said.
There are no shortcomings in mutual coordination between the country's tri-services, "but we have thought about further improving it." Singh said that the Defence Ministry is also taking up certain reforms.
Speaking on self-reliance in the defence sector, he said 64 per cent of the capital procurement budget will only be for domestic procurement and several changes have been made in the defence acquisition procedure.
As many as 46 out of 48 ships and submarines being procured are being built in Indian shipyards, Singh said, adding, Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, INS Vikrant will be completed soon and is likely to be commissioned as the country completes 75 years of Independence.
The Defence Minister is also scheduled to visit Kochi to review the progress of construction of the indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC) there.
Visited Karwar Naval Base today to review the progress of ongoing infrastructure development under ‘Project Seabird’. I am confident that after the completion of this project, the Karwar Naval Base would become Asia's largest and most efficient Naval base. pic.twitter.com/8z6QcST4QM
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) June 24, 2021
