Weekly #171: Did India really kill terrorists in Pakistan?

[00:00:00] Namaste and welcome to another edition of the Bharatvaarta Weekly, I am Roshan Karayappa

[00:00:05] I have with me Abhishek Paul and Nirav Kanodra to run you through the news and events of the week that was

[00:00:11] It was a pretty slim week with one Damaka of an article that opened up a Pandora's box

[00:00:17] We'll talk about India's alleged assassinations in Pakistan

[00:00:22] This is when reference to the Guardian article that came out you know, alluding to that

[00:00:28] Then there is the India Sri Lanka Kachathevo Rho based on the Prime Minister's remarks

[00:00:34] The Congress party also unveiled the Panch Nyai manifesto we'll talk about that

[00:00:39] And of course, we'll round things off with a few updates from the IPL

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[00:01:01] Alright, Abhishek Nirav, hope the week has been great for you guys

[00:01:05] Let's start with the India's alleged assassinations in Pakistan

[00:01:10] On Thursday British News site the Guardian broke reports of the Indian government supposedly killing terrorists in Pakistan

[00:01:18] The article made bold claims of Indian officials infiltrating IS and other terror organizations to pose as locals

[00:01:25] And then carry out these assassinations

[00:01:29] The report, however, as pointed out by several users on X or Twitter was filled with inaccuracies and shorty writing

[00:01:36] With unreliable and biased sources

[00:01:39] Some of the inaccuracies include misnaming RANDW as raw

[00:01:45] Clames that callis on it terrorist, Gurpathwan Singh Panun was dead

[00:01:50] Using photos of the wrong terrorists and swan

[00:01:53] Defense Minister, Mr. Rajna Singh on Friday reacted to the article saying that if any terrorist tries to disturb the country's peace

[00:02:00] We will give a befitting reply

[00:02:02] If they run back to Pakistan, then Pakistan may go scare Marangue

[00:02:07] Well, alright

[00:02:10] It seems like the Guardian has become the star campainer for the government in some sense

[00:02:16] So Niro, what do you make of the article and also the response from the defense minister

[00:02:24] So I think the article is obviously they are trying to do like a hit job, little bit biased

[00:02:33] And there's a lot of factual errors

[00:02:35] So once something has a lot of factual errors, you think that why would I ever bother about it or you know

[00:02:43] So like that kind of like put everything as what is there

[00:02:48] Yeah, to make some sort of

[00:02:50] Yeah, so you can just ignore it but also see there is one thing it's a very condescending to

[00:02:56] So, so, so, so, so I mean, nothing was found in Pakistan and was executed there

[00:03:03] By the US for the responsibility so you have like kind of double standards for

[00:03:09] What the western country is do versus other the global south or whatever

[00:03:16] The lesser developed countries like India Hamdan

[00:03:19] So I don't even know whether it is true or not

[00:03:22] Pakistan is a pretty you would say

[00:03:26] Not lawless, but the law and order isn't really well maintained

[00:03:30] There are a lot of rival factions, there could be a lot of people

[00:03:34] And lastly, there's one part which mentioned that the government gave notice to some terrorist to stay safe

[00:03:42] So this is a thing why are they harboring terrorist like if you have people who are suspected of having committed crime

[00:03:49] There are other countries then should they be living in your country or should they be put to put in prison

[00:03:57] Or any other form of a non-forcement action issue

[00:04:02] Do you understand?

[00:04:03] So anyways, all of this all it has done is there's actually within India

[00:04:08] It has actually raised to know this property probably but outside India

[00:04:13] The ones who don't like India or who don't like Modi will say, oh no, he's doing these unlawful activities

[00:04:19] And other countries etc.

[00:04:21] So it is just reinforcing everybody's existing biases or stereotypes

[00:04:26] Whereas the article may be complete fiction, maybe propaganda or sub perceptions

[00:04:33] All it does is on the internet, it's trending your bias whichever way it was before

[00:04:40] So I would just take it to the fistful of salt, it's not much

[00:04:45] It is what it is and just it is best ignored

[00:04:49] Yeah fistful of salt, some lemon and tequila as well, I suppose on a Saturday evening

[00:04:54] Yeah, Pakistan isn't such a turmoil at this point of time that it is perhaps

[00:05:01] I mean very naive to attribute one of these murder or supposed murders to India

[00:05:07] Look at the case of singers and artists and performers being regularly bumped off

[00:05:13] Or politicians themselves, I mean I was reading about this Amjad Sabri

[00:05:18] Who was again murdered because he didn't pay up the regular half-thaw or something of that sort

[00:05:23] I mean, so all kinds of things have happened there

[00:05:26] But yeah, we shake a very subtle response from the defense minister

[00:05:31] I mean not saying much in the sense not denying directly

[00:05:37] But then saying that hey, I mean if it is a case of terrorism

[00:05:42] We won't hesitate to step across the border

[00:05:47] Yeah, I think with previous retaliations

[00:05:51] Let's say that the Indian armed forces have done in the Modi era

[00:05:57] They have definitely crossed the previously understood to be red lines

[00:06:03] So it used to be certainly a policy that India will not cross the line of control

[00:06:12] Because doing that counter terror operations and things like that

[00:06:17] So that red line has definitely been erased

[00:06:20] And so now while India can definitely deny these specific cases of random local jihadis

[00:06:31] Who have been mysteriously dying in Pakistan

[00:06:35] And we don't really need to take credit for any of this right?

[00:06:38] Like who knows?

[00:06:40] And we don't need to know anyway

[00:06:42] But the point is that the government says that they definitely retain the option

[00:06:48] For retaliating across the border in case of significant terrorist attacks or things like that

[00:06:56] Yeah, alright, what do you guys think?

[00:06:59] Come in, did the Indian agencies actually do this or

[00:07:04] Well let us know in the comments

[00:07:07] Moving on to another controversy

[00:07:10] Last week, Prime Minister Modi on Twitter said that the details about the

[00:07:14] Kachativa island between Sri Lanka and India had revealed to court DMK's double standards

[00:07:20] The details about the status of the island were revealed in an RTI request

[00:07:24] And stated that the Indian government in 1974

[00:07:27] Seated the island to Sri Lanka as part of a bilateral agreement between the two governments

[00:07:33] The Prime Minister and Minister for external affairs, Dr. S.

[00:07:36] Jashankar, slum the Congress party and DMK saying they never had India's interests in their heart

[00:07:43] And have only worked to further their families' statuses

[00:07:47] The Sri Lanka government said that India's statements of reclaiming the islands to court whole no grounds

[00:07:54] And that there is no need for any talks with the Indian government as it is on expected lines

[00:07:59] With the elections coming up

[00:08:01] Abhishek interesting timing for this as well

[00:08:05] But is there a larger sort of a significance to this?

[00:08:08] I mean, I know that India and Sri Lanka have been on good terms now, especially post the crisis in Sri Lanka

[00:08:13] And our, you know, oh well-being humanitarian support

[00:08:16] I think we offered some two billion or something

[00:08:19] Right way more than the IMF itself

[00:08:22] So is this going to deteriorate ties or is this just some political signaling

[00:08:29] Yes, so as of now I think it looks like purely political signaling

[00:08:34] Where let's say the opposition from time to time has been trying to put the government on the back foot with regard to China

[00:08:46] Our financial predation or you know, think like that right where

[00:08:51] Did India lose some territory to China in these last five six years

[00:08:57] And all that right in the Ladakh region. So I think the BJP first is trying to sort of put question marks on the congresses

[00:09:09] Let's say intentions and capabilities also with regard to foreign policy and their previous track record right

[00:09:17] And so if you look at this particular incident, this was sort of

[00:09:24] This small island was sort of given away to Sri Lanka as part of negotiations during 74 to 76 period

[00:09:34] But what India had then tried to do was retain the right of Indian fishermen to visit that island without travel documents

[00:09:44] Right as so that they can let's say dry their fishing nets and things like that

[00:09:50] And also there was some particular festival for which you know access was supposed to be provided

[00:09:56] So since then of course India shinankar relations and let's say Tamil's inali is relations are going through many ups and downs

[00:10:04] Right and so at various points in time Indian fishermen have fed it that you know

[00:10:11] They've got the ruined of the bargain here and also I think probably the most pressing complaint is that

[00:10:22] Is of the Indian fishermen right whether they get arrested to soon for the Sri Lanka Navy is like very

[00:10:32] Stranger and do not you know give any sort of benefit of doubt to Indian fishermen things like that

[00:10:38] So I think the fishermen's question remains sort of bone of contention between both countries for example

[00:10:49] If at any point in time let's say the central government is able to secure the release of a bunch of arrested

[00:10:56] Fishermen that probably provide the sort of political benefit or kudos from the public of Tamil ladoun

[00:11:03] So on right so that is the sort of local dynamic there rather than the 74-76 question

[00:11:13] As far as the bilateral ties go I don't think it has sort of escalated to that level

[00:11:20] I think Sri Lankan some basically said that it is just Indians debating amongst themselves and of course for them

[00:11:28] They own the island it's a settled question

[00:11:33] Right well, all right closer home on Friday April 5th Indian National Congress party

[00:11:40] Release the manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections the manifesto is titled Niay Patra and centered around the party's commitment to justice through its five pillars

[00:11:52] The punch Niay includes a u1i, Nari Niay, Kisan Niay, Shramik Niay and his say Dari Niay

[00:12:00] Then Niay Patra includes social justice, gender equality, lot of recognize LGBT QIA plus community MSP for farmers

[00:12:09] Filming government vacancies inclusively and so on and so forth

[00:12:14] Niay, I don't know if this is like social reform or social re-engineering of some sort right but on the face of it

[00:12:23] I think it looks benevolent but the ways and means this could be carried out could have so huge costs economically and socially I feel right I mean

[00:12:33] Yeah just looking at some of these guarantees it's carry how these things will be fulfilled and if they will be fulfilled right

[00:12:42] I don't know, a couple of people is in the news today saying that you know how can Modi guarantee anything

[00:12:48] It is unconstitutional right he can only say that he can try to do some of these things

[00:12:53] But these are guarantees right I mean look at MSP for farmers for instance right so yeah what do you think about this

[00:13:01] So one is you correctly said all of these are like very much social

[00:13:06] Social type of policies as well as it's a redistribution of the existing wealth

[00:13:11] The problem is India is still a poor country

[00:13:14] It is a lower middle income or still a poor country

[00:13:17] If you redistribute all the wealth there is not much left to redistribute from

[00:13:23] So I think that is one thing maybe see I am a capitalist person work in a very capitalist environment in a very capitalist city outside India

[00:13:32] So my views can be very different but

[00:13:35] I think clearly they are running out of any ideas so what they're doing is the probably shifting the whole discourse so much to the left

[00:13:45] That the other part even if they win they will have to give something

[00:13:48] I think MSP was a fantastic idea during the green revolution in the 19 sixteenth so that the farmers can plot as much as they can

[00:13:56] Earlier what would happen I just don't take this one specific example

[00:14:00] What would happen is you would have when farmers the crop is very big demand is kind of constant so then the prices collapse

[00:14:08] So very huge crop or very low crop is back

[00:14:12] So the MSP would ensure that there is always some demand and the government has a lender of losses or like the buyer of losses or

[00:14:21] Will hold this in some good house which can eventually pay for in times of drop

[00:14:26] So but now maybe we're going too much rice and wheat in places where we don't need it

[00:14:32] And maybe our diets India the diabetic print is enemy

[00:14:35] So diabetes so you should be thinking about how can we grow more billets how can we grow more corn and we have to move on see this ideas is the 1960s

[00:14:45] I think reservation idea which I'm building can put up social justice in the 50s. It's a country we are fighting everyone wants to be backward people are fighting to be backward status

[00:14:55] And other than trying to move ahead that there should be enough for all you want to be more forward

[00:14:59] Right, so I think that is also like out-select little regressive steps and I think the things like all freebies that free buses for women or like

[00:15:10] Reservation of jobs what we want is more efficiency

[00:15:14] If same maybe 15% of the women who travel in public buses and kerrata has free buses for women

[00:15:20] If you really ask about them bus travel is reasonably priced it's quite cheap would they prefer if there were 15% more buses and the buses were more frequent you got more space to sit

[00:15:33] Rather than women paying for free would their safety be a bit better

[00:15:39] I think we need to think of it that way can we grow the pie can we have more resources can we think about growing so I think that is what it is

[00:15:48] Again, respectfully saying that their ideology is a very left-leading very socialist

[00:15:54] They are looking at redistribution overgrowth

[00:15:57] I think India where it is at this moment

[00:16:00] We are poor country there's not enough left to redistribute if you see this and that will have to be paid for more taxes either you see immigration of more

[00:16:08] Well, people or you will see more people hiding taxes or not paying a fair share

[00:16:15] So I think rewamping of GST you know removing EEMs these are our more regressive steps

[00:16:22] Removing triple the lock it's an anti-women

[00:16:25] So I feel personally that it is something which I don't agree with and it is for every voter to see what is more important to them and think about it

[00:16:36] All I would say is the politician no politician is promising anything is giving from his or her own pocket

[00:16:44] There are trade-offs by spending money in one place, maybe you get less of other things could be less of infrastructure

[00:16:53] Could be less of public services could be more taxes it has to be paid some off and this is very high

[00:17:00] I am very open in my economically in India sadly politically there is no country no party which is enough right to them for me

[00:17:10] So I have to make a choice whatever it is

[00:17:14] I might go and vote let's see 20th May Mumbai North go in the versus a more

[00:17:20] Kirtikar are the two candidates, Shiv Sena and Shiv Sena you meeting and I make my decision

[00:17:26] But I think the I am see manifesto seems very very leftist it seems more like the communist party manifesto and I am I

[00:17:37] My views are quite different as in respectfully people can have their own views people can vote as for their liking

[00:17:44] And everywhere is entitled to your vote and vote wisely and be careful what you are voting for

[00:17:49] Yeah, I mean you said it rightly you know I mean this feels like going back 25 30 years or perhaps even more right I mean moving back to ballot papers

[00:17:57] Some of these reservations and so on and so forth right I mean India's aspirations have you know

[00:18:04] Wastly moved on from this right I mean I don't think a young person in India irrespective of their status irrespective of whether they're in the metro or villages or tier 1 or tier 3 or whatever

[00:18:14] Can relate to this more they can more than they can relate to what the Prime Minister says right which is

[00:18:21] Development for all right and

[00:18:24] Like improving the general circumstances for everyone right whether it's labor capital or productivity

[00:18:30] None of these schemes kind of promote that I mean they seem to be like rearranging the pieces on the on the board rather than you know thinking how to grow the pie

[00:18:39] Right I think I want to add one more thing and your what I feel is

[00:18:44] UPA government in UPA to their flagship program was in Raga and

[00:18:49] While there's a lot of positive things to say et cetera board

[00:18:52] So there's one thing where you would give cash in hand and I would say

[00:18:57] A lot of

[00:18:59] Investment directed investment has been in the Indian government has been

[00:19:04] Her her her general so you get pipe water cooking gas you get

[00:19:14] So toilet cooking gas toilets as well right such barren so you get toilets installed

[00:19:21] So what one is giving you a cash and you are free to spend it whichever way you want a lot of time to be in place to because doesn't add any capacity

[00:19:30] And your circumstances kind of remain the same whereas the other one is actually adding capacity and adding capacity

[00:19:39] Improving infrastructure Indian infrastructure still a whisper

[00:19:43] But you can say it is probably better than what it was

[00:19:47] Ten years ago, 10 years ago 30 years ago

[00:19:50] Intercity still very bad because cities are grown to fast intercity slowly improving so I think

[00:19:57] Think about these two examples right that one was Andrea and the other one was giving people like direct transfer of

[00:20:09] Getting gas connections getting LPG getting water getting toilets in every house or like trying to make it open

[00:20:18] Defecation free we are far from perfect but we also come far from very well and think about what is what to do rather have like 100 to

[00:20:30] Peace of everyday or and you but you don't have to co-coct toilet in the field.

[00:20:35] Right, I think that is a choice that is a two clicked tier difference between

[00:20:40] I would say the two big groups which are contesting right

[00:20:44] Oddly enough the NIPA throw also has some aspects of foreign policy covered

[00:20:51] They want to mend relationships with the more leaves and they say the owners should be on us right

[00:20:58] And they also want to realign the China policy, you know that sounds again ominous to me right I mean considering it's a hostile country

[00:21:06] And we've had multiple skirmishes and whatnot right

[00:21:11] So yeah, it is what it is I suppose I mean people I hope they make an educated decision when they're

[00:21:17] You know at the ballot boxes

[00:21:20] Right, so all right

[00:21:22] Moving on as I said it's a very slim week. So we're going to end with some updates from the Indian Premier League over the past week

[00:21:29] Well nothing much changed on the RCB front

[00:21:32] We continue to lose games the last one was on April 2nd against the lockdown super giants who won by 28 runs

[00:21:38] You guys thought that me, is it? I mean the most important aspect of an RCB match is the toss

[00:21:44] Right

[00:21:46] It decides whether

[00:21:49] Exactly decides how we lose Terrible Terrible Terrible

[00:21:52] Well other matches Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals Ravs and Royals won by 6 Wickets and 27 balls

[00:21:59] Cool kitten itaders Delhi Chargers KKR1 by 106 runs Gujarat Titans and Punjab King's Punjab won by 3 Wickets and a ball

[00:22:09] Chennai Super Kings and Sunriseers sunriseers won

[00:22:13] Wow by 6 Wickets and 11 balls

[00:22:16] Okay, I want to talk about Mayan Kiyadov man

[00:22:20] Water killer killer killer ballo here. So I mean it was bad enough that RCB was losing so

[00:22:27] But the highlight of the match was Mayan Kiyadov bowling 155 156 K's right I mean it's just supremely

[00:22:35] It's just delightful to watch an Indian fastball or clock those speeds and such a clean action as well right

[00:22:42] So consistently as well you know not like some of the folks we know from the past right who

[00:22:48] Ball one ball at someone 45 K's and finish the rest of the over at average speed of 130 right, but

[00:22:54] Yeah seems like seems like a real find guys. What do you think about it?

[00:22:59] So man Kiyadov actually really exciting prospects fingers crossed

[00:23:04] He doesn't get injured like fastballers special ball at this pace do 10 to get injured

[00:23:10] We had like a couple of other guys who were

[00:23:13] Don't know how fast pulling 145 plus Shiva Maui and Nagar Koti come to mind only under 19 stars

[00:23:21] So hope man Kiyadov like sustains and has like a long international and a long career in IPL very entertaining

[00:23:28] Bullet watch but I was also highlight like a couple of others so for all RCV fans

[00:23:34] You know like I'm Mumbai Indians fans, you know like we are all in the same boat

[00:23:39] But I think a couple of very other exciting players from there is

[00:23:46] Leon Parag with place for Rils Sun Rollins

[00:23:49] He's been playing your 70 when he first hit a 50 year now like five seasons on is still 22 only he's hit 250s

[00:23:55] He's seen like a very exciting young bachelor and a brilliant field if you do notice games

[00:24:01] He's always feeling a long on and long off and does like a lot of brilliant saves and a couple of great cash in as well

[00:24:07] And goes next week

[00:24:09] Though a lot of time is not being called in the 2020 set up

[00:24:12] Maybe old eyes are like I don't know if test week it gets in the future

[00:24:15] Could be like a nice decent part time bowler to chip in with a few hours as well

[00:24:20] So that is one guy

[00:24:21] There's young talent, young Chris Lago and she he's hit like a 50 there are a lot of guys who've been there

[00:24:29] You see they have the political who's played decently and then so it's really nice

[00:24:36] I think it's nice we have like a larger talent pool

[00:24:39] IPL they do like a great job overall in an earning a lot of talent at like what we have is about 10 teams

[00:24:46] Each team there are 7 people all around 8 because of like the substitution rule play a game

[00:24:52] So 80 players and

[00:24:55] Because of like substrate play in the squad etc

[00:24:59] About 120 players get to play one level below international cricket with a lot of other international stars

[00:25:06] So by having good facilities good coaches exposure to international, bolers and batsman

[00:25:12] I think it ups the game quite a bit

[00:25:14] So it's really a political and in cricket as a neco system

[00:25:19] Created a large talent pool and yeah, I absolutely entertaining the T20 format is also great

[00:25:27] All of a particular day anyone can win apart from RCBM Mumbai

[00:25:34] Yeah, I mean such a plethora of talent right for sure

[00:25:38] I mean, I think we have enough right now at least on the T20 side

[00:25:42] We could probably you know do an India a and India b like the hospital

[00:25:47] And you see

[00:25:50] Absolutely all right

[00:25:52] Folks that's it. We come to the end of this weekly if you did stay with us as long and you like to content don't forget to share and subscribe

[00:26:00] Really helps the algo guards smile upon us

[00:26:03] Thank you again for joining us on this weekly until next time from Abhishek Bheer and myself

[00:26:09] Do stay safe take care and jahin