Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatam.......explained.

Kausalya suprajarama!
Purva sandhya pravartate, 
Uttistha! Narasardula! 
Kartavyam daivam ahnikam.

O! Rama! Kausalya's auspicious child! Twilight is approaching in the East.
O! best of men (Purushottama)! Wake up, the divine daily rituals have to be performed.

Uttisthottistha! govinda! 
Uttistha garudadhvaja! 
Uttistha kamalakanta!
Trailokyam mangalam kuru.

O! Govinda, wake up! O! Garudadhvaja (one who has Garuda on his flag)! wake up. O! Kamalakanta (the husband of Kamala)! by rising, render the three worlds auspicious.

Matas samsastajagatam madhukaitabhareh
Vaksoviharini! manohara-divyamurte!
Srisvanmini! sritajanapriya-danasile!
Sri-venkatesa-dayite! Tava suprabhatam

May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee, O! Lakshmi, the Mother of the Worlds, who dwells on the chest of Vishnu, the enemy of the demons, Madhu and Kaitabha), of attractive and divine form, with the nature of granting what is desired by those seeking refuge!

Tava suprabhatam aravindalochane!
Bhavatu prasannamukha-chandramandale!     
Vidhisankarendra-vanitabhir archite!  
Vrsasailanatha-dayite!dayanidhe

May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee, O! Lakshmi, the beloved of the Lord of Vrsacala, with eyes like lotus petals, with a bright face like the Moon, who is worshipped by Vani, Girija and Pulomaja (the wives of Brahma, Sankara and Indra) and who is very compassionate.

Atryadi-saptarsayas samupasya sandhyam 
Aksasindhu-kamalani manoharani, 
Adaya padayugam archayitum prapanna 
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

Having worshipped the morning twilight and said their morning prayers, called sandhyavandana, the seven sages like Atri, bringing the beautiful lotuses from the divine Ganges, have arrived to worship Thy feet. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee.

Panchananabjabhava sanmukha vasavadyah 
Traivikramadi charitam vibudhah stuvanti, 
Bhasapatith pathati vasarasuddhim arat 
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The Gods, like the five-headed Brahma, the lotus-born Subrahmanya, and the six-headed Indra are praising the deeds of your incarnations as the Trivikramavatara. Nearby is Brhaspati who is reading out the planetary position (called Panchangam) of the day. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee

Isatpraphulla-sarasiruha-narikela- 
Pugadrumadi-sumanohara-palikanam
Avati mandam anilah saha divyagandhaih
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The breeze, carrying the wonderful fragrance of the partly-opened lotuses, and the beautiful trees like the Areca and Coconut, is blowing gently. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Unmilya netrayugam uttama-panjarastah
Patravasista-kadaliphalapayasani,
Bhuktva salilam atha kelisukhah pathanti
Sesadri-sekara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The parrots in their cages are opening their eyes, and graciously singing, after eating the remains of the plantain fruits and the payasam in the vessels. Lord Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Tantriprakarsa-madhurasvanaya vipanchya
Gayaty anantacharitam tava narado'pi 
Bhasasamagram asakrt-karachararamyam 
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The sage, Narada, is playing sweet music with his veena, and, in fine language, is singing praises of Thy endless deeds, gracefully waving his other hand. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Bhrngavali cha makaranda-rasanuviddha- 
Jhankaragita-ninadaih saha sevanaya, 
Niryaty upanta-sarasi-kamalodarebhyah
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The humming swarm of bees are sucking honey and emerging from the interiors of the lotuses of the adjoining pools, in order to serve Thee. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Yosa-ganena vara-dadhni vimathyamane 
Ghosalayesu dadhimanthana-tivraghosah,
Rosat kalim vidadhate kakubhas cha kumbhah
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

While the womenfolk of the hamlet of cowherds churn the curds, the loud sounds and echoes emanating from the pots seems like as if the pots and the eight directions are quarrelling. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Padmesa-mitra-satapatra-gatalivargah 
Hartum sriyam kuvalayasya nijanga-laksmya, 
Bherininadam iva bibhrati tivra-nadam 
Sesadri-sekhara-vibho! tava suprabhatam

The swarm of bees in the lotuses are friends of the sun, and are making lound sounds with a view to surpassing the splendour of the lustrous blue lotuses. Lord of Seshachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Srimann abhista-varadakhila-lokabandho! 
Srisrinivasa!jagadeka-dayaikasindho! 
Sridevata-grha-bhujantara-divyamurte! 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

One with Lakshmi! One who grants boons! Friend of all the worlds! Abode of Sri Lakshmi! The matchless ocean of compassion! One having a charming form on account of the chest which is the abode of Sri Lakshmi! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Srisvami-puskarinika-plava-nirmalangah 
Sreyorthino hara-virinchi-sanandanadyah,
Dvare vasanti varavetra- hatottamangah 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Brahma, Shiva, Sanandana and several others have bathed in purified water. They are at your doorstep eager to see you, for their own well-being, though they have been hit with canes by your gods. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Sri-sesasaila-garudachala-venkatadri- 
Narayanadri-vrsabhadri-vrsadri-mukhyam,
Akhyam tvaduta-vasater anisam vadanit 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Lord of Venkatachala! Thy abode is always called by several names, such as Sri Sesasaila, Garudachala, Venkatadri, Narayanadri, Vrsabhadri, Vrsadri. May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Sevaparah siva-suresa-krsanu-dharma- 
Raksombunatha-pavamana-dhanadhinathah, 
Baddhanjali-pravilasan nijasirsa-desah 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam


Siva, Indra, Agni, Yama, Nairuti, Varuna, Vayu and Kubera, with folded hands placed on their heads, are desirous of offering service to thee. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Dhatisu te vihangaraja-mrgadhiraja-
Nagadhiraja-gajaraja-hayadhirajah, 
Svasvadhikara-mahimadikam arthayante 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

The modes of Thy conveyance - Garuda, the Lord of Birds, the Lion, Lord of Animals, Adisesa, the Lord of Serpents, Airavata, the Lord of Elephants and Uccaissravas, the Lord of Horses - are begging Thee to grant them their respective authority and power to server Thee better, on your pleasure trips. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Suryendu-bhauma-budha-vakpati-kavya-sauri
Svarbhanu-kettu-divisat parisat pradhanah, 
Tvaddasa-dasa-charamavadhi-dasadasah 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

The main deities of the Assembly of Gods - the nine planets - the Sun, the Moon, Mars (Angaraka), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Brhaspati), Venus (Sukra), Saturn (Sani), Rahu and Ketu are happy to serve even your servants and remain most obedient to Thee. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee

Tvat-padadhuli-bharita-sphuritottamangah 
Svargapavarga-nirapeksa-nijanarangah, 
Kalpagamakalanayakulatam labhante 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Lord of Venkatachala! Thy devotees, whose heads are sanctified by the dust of Thy feet, being in Thy presence, do not desire Heaven or Liberation, but are worried that another kalpa will start, when there will be no such glory to Venkatachala! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Tvad-gopuragra-sikharani niriksamanah 
Svargapavarga-padavim paramamsrayantah,
Martya manusya-bhuvane matim-asrayante 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

On seeing the crests of Thy temple tower, the mortals, who are attempting to attain the exalted paths of Heaven and Liberation, feel like living on in the mortal world, as it gives them the opportunity of worshipping Thee. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Sri-bhumi-nayaka! dayadi-gunamrtabdhe! 
Devadhideva!jagadeka-saranyamurte,
Srimann-ananta-garudadibhir architanghre! 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Lord of Sridevi and Bhudevi! The ocean of nectar of compassion and other virtues! The chief of the Gods! The sole refuge of the Universe! The possessor of Sri (wealth)! One whose feet are worshipped by Ananta and Garuda! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Sripadmanabha! purusottama! vasudeva!
Vaikuntha! madhava! janardana! chakrapane! 
Srivasta-chihna! sarangata-parijata! 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Padmanabha! Purushottama! Vasudeva! Vaikunta! Madhava! Janardana! Chakrapani! Bearer of the mole Srivatsa! Celestial tree (parijata) under whom refuge is sought! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Kandarpa-darpa-hara-sundara-divyamurte! 
Kanta-kucamburuha-kutmala-loladrste! 
Kalyana-nirmala-gunakara! divyakirte!
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Bearer of the charming and divine form surpassing the pride of Cupid (Manmatha)! One whose sight is fondly centred on the lotus bud like breasts of His beloved! The abode of auspicious and pure virtues! The possessor of Divine fame! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Minakrte!kamatha!kola!nrsimha!varnin! 
Svamin!parasvatha-tapodhana!ramachandra! 
Sesamsarama! yadunandana! kalkirupa! 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Lord in ten incarnations of Matsya (Fish), Kamatha (Tortoise), Kola (Boar), Narasimha (Man-lion) Trivikrama (Dwarf), Parasurama, Rama, Balarama, Krishna and Kalki! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Ela-lavanga-ghanasara-sugandhi-tirtham 
Divyam viyat-sariti hema-ghatesu purnam 
Dhrtvadya vaidika-sikhamanayah prahrstah 
Tisthanti venkatapate tava suprabhatam

The Brahmins, well-versed in the Vedas, are now joyfully waiting to worship you. They are carrying golden pots on their heads that are filled with the water of the Divine Ganges (Akasa Ganga), which has been rendered fragrant by mixing cardamom, cloves and camphor in it. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Bhasvan udeti vikachani saroruhani 
Sampurayanti ninadaih kakubho vihangah,
Srivaisnavas satatam arthita-mangalas te 
Dhamasrayanti tava venkata! suprabhatam

The Sun is rising; the lotuses have blossomed; the birds are twittering; the Sri Vaishnavas, always imploring auspiciousness, are waiting at Thy abode. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Brahmadayas suravaras samaharsayas te 
Santas sanadana-mukhastv atha yogivaryah
Dhamantike tava hi mangala-vastu-hastah 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Brahma,the great sages and the good Yogins as Sanandana are waiting at Thy abode, with auspicious offerings in their hands. Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee


Laksminivasa! niravadya-gunaika-sindho!
Samsara-sagara-samuttaranaika-seto!
Vedantu-vedya-nijavaibhava! bhaktabhogya! 
Sri-venkatachalapate! tava suprabhatam

Abode of Lakshmi! Ocean of faultless and auspicious virtues! Bridge to cross the ocean of transmigration (samsara)! One whose glory is known through the Upanishads! One who is enjoyed by devotees! Lord of Venkatachala! May it be an auspicious dawn to Thee

Perhaps the era of adhocism is over in the MOD

Rediff.com

Smartphones & Tablets still have a long way to go ! http://tinyurl.com/5s6vw77

Your friend is sharing the 'Smartphones and tablets still have a long way to grow' article with you.

Budget 2011: Over 35% Hike for Department of Space

Budget 2011: Over 35% Hike for Department of Space http://bit.ly/gCnuPR

Uncle Pai of Amar Chitra Katha is no more!

Rajesh (@RajeshChowdhury) has shared a Tweet with you: "RajeshChowdhury: The grandsire of Amar Chitra Katha #ACK, Uncle Pai is no more! RIP #fb" --http://twitter.com/RajeshChowdhury/status/40767447573200896

Old wounds get exposed : Bangladesh Liberation War

Rajesh (@RajeshChowdhury) has shared a Tweet with you: "Pakistannews: Bangladesh liberation film opens old wounds - DAWN.com http://bit.ly/ern3ZE" --http://twitter.com/Pakistannews/status/39240700058935296

Mumbai stadium for World Cup final is an embarrassment

Rajesh (@RajeshChowdhury) has shared a Tweet with you: "RajeshChowdhury: Venue for cricket world cup finals in Mumbai, India, fails fire safety inspection -Reuters" --http://twitter.com/RajeshChowdhury/status/38556945761705984

125 on... the jealously guarded Colacola recipe gets uncovered!!!!!

Rediff.com

India's Defence : In Retrospect

CHAPTER 1

HISTORY OF INDIA’S DEFENCE

India’s geographic location has always been a significant contributing factor to her eventful history. Her plains have always provided her visitors a respite from the concatenation of high mountains that encompassed her north. In the ancient times when the sea was not yet conquered by man, the northern boundaries of India were the only gateway to the incredible land.

In the ancient times, India was invaded many a times by the people of the mountains. The driving force behind the invasions can be seen as a result of the limitation of natural resources in the native land of the invaders and also a belief of the mythical Indian riches. In all the ancient invasions in India, her northern boundaries provided the gateway which eventually led the invaders to the vast expanses of the northern Indian plains. The plains provided its natives with a bounty of natural resources, as the mighty rivers frequently flooded the plains rendering it fertile and conducive of cultivation. The natives practised cultivation to harvest enough food resources to nourish the population. Inspite of its relative opulence, the people of the plains could not build up a coherent society that proved to be of great disadvantage time and again during moments of crisis. The lack of proper and effective coordination in matters relating to defence against possible external hostile invasions has written the fate in the pages of history. The society and states remained fragmented and the perpetuating internal conflicts and tensions didn’t either do any good. The discrete natures of existence of states within the boundaries of this great Indian landmass naturally made were weak even as she was vulnerable to hostile invasions. The rulers were more occupied in expanding the boundaries of their native states. Even those who succeeded in doing so did not envision transcending their empires into a common Indian identity. These annexed territories, once occupied, were not considered to be a part of the greater land which needed nourishment and security, being under constant threat of similar invasions from outside. On the other side of the wall, we had these tough, battle hardened, ambitious and avaricious invaders for whom these very invasions were sine qua non for their very existence. For them, the numbers lost in struggles meant too little as compared to the tribes own existence. They had cohesion and were driven by the need to address the shortfall of resources back home.

History has stood in evidence to the fact that such invasions occurred across India’s northern boundaries which can be seen to be sponsored by the people of this land. Invasion although took place quite often within her boundaries with the ruler of one state invader his neighbour with the same purpose with which the foreigners invaded India. The reason why the pages in history doesnot show any record of Invasions out of India is as much complex and needs an understanding in its entirety. Simply the vastness of the Indian landmass coupled with its rather evenly distributed forms of natural resources met most of the needs of its local inhabitants in their respective states and also mitigated the need to explore greener pastures. In contrast, the people who invaded India, came from places which were harsh in sustenance of life and settlements were discrete. A resourceful India, across the mountains beckoned these people with all her life sustaining treasures.

A SAD STORY

Over the ages India has had an abysmal record in defending herself against internal as well as external aggressions. As an extenuation one might argue that India has always been a land which had never shut her doors to the outside world and that we should be proud of the land has been an assimilator of culture over the ages. However this logic, according to the author is nothing but a travesty of what is true. The fact of the matter is that we have failed to defend ourselves against external aggression and influence which later on have proved insidious to the nation’s interest. We have always kept our infatuation of universal brotherhood ahead of our national interest. For a nation to be successful in defending itself, pursuit of national interest is sine qua non. The insidious nature of internal contradictions within the social milieu of a nation state has never left its policy makers to effectively prioritize national interest in international diplomacy. One would need to keep his house in order before he can peep at the outside would. This has infact remained our weakness over the ages in that prior to the British occupation, we could not build up a coherence in a national sense. The political ideologies in practice in the pre-British era were divisive and self-destructive. A short-sighted rular would rather forge an alliance with the opportunistic invader to defeat his immediate neighbour than pose a united front to the invader. History has repeated itself and has stood in evidence of this tragedy. The well known policy of divide and rule was not a monopoly of the British. The Aryans, the arab mercenaries, the huns, the mughals and all others who invaded India managed to obtain rich dividends exercising this policy. What we should appreciate is that the concept of unity in diversity was only realised at the time of the British rule. India has always been a land of great diversity. In ancient India, amidst all these diversities the belting force that helped this land from fragmenting apart politically and socially was a common religion-hinduism.

Belief in the same God brought people together amidst all the forces of division. Though Hindiusm united India, it also led to division in society. A section of the society especially the privileged class used the religion for their own benefits. The interpretation of religion and the ensuing dictats spelled a doom for the underprivileged class. The caste division in society never allowed it congeal into a single mass. Thus it always remained fragmented more so by the inequalities in wealth which resulted out of a caste-ridden society. So the fact that these under privileged, oppressed of the majority in society did not deprecate anyone who challenged the ruling elite whom they believed to be the reason for their miseries. These poor people did not realise that it was not their religion that articulated all these wrong doing it was the perversive way in which it was interpreted by the ruling elite. Thus the idea and feeling of rejection grew insidiously in society and manifested itself at moments of crisis more so during external aggressions. The fact that foreign religions like Islam and Christanity could find a way into this land of caste ridden Hindus is a direct consequence of its inherent divisiveness. Though many of the subsequent religious conversions were not voluntary by any means, a belief of a better life outside Hinduism always helped. Thus through the ages the demography of an erstwhile Hindu India has changed.

The difference in social life style did not end here. The caste ridden Hindu society now had to face the challenge of coexistence with multi-religionism. It is regrettable that inspite of its uniqueness to assimilate different religious thoughts, Indian society has often shuddered due to religious intolerance. For some, narrow religious interests have been so compulsive that they have failed to accommodate tolerance within their strides in social life. Prior to the arrival of the British, many states of India had its rulers who were of the minority community in their respective states. The Nizam of Hyderabad, the Sultan of Mysore, the Nawab of Bengal and the maharaja of Kashmir to name a few.

Extremely dangerous proposition from the British Premier

Rajesh (@RajeshChowdhury) has shared a Tweet with you: "Outlookindia: Britain Needs to Abandon Multiculturalism: Cameron http://bit.ly/hX6M4a Outlook Wires" --http://twitter.com/Outlookindia/status/33907435798269952

As the valley boils…

The recent trouble in Srinagar has in fact had its early days during the tenure of Mehebooba Mufti. She and her party have always been sitting on the fence. During her tenure, the PDP played with the idea of reaching out to the separatists in the valley, not with an intent of finding out a solution to the problem, rather to ensure a certain degree of tolerance among the extremist elements as it officially at least continued with its allegiance to Delhi.
Mehebooba and her party realised that unless and until they adopted a covertly compromising relationship with the extremist organisations in the valley, she won’t be able to ensure a rather even-free tenure. She always intended on securing her rule in the state by pursuing this policy that naturally ensured lesser street protests and casualties. This lenient approach was taken advantage of by the separatists, duly guided and financed by their masters across the border.
The cause of normalcy in the valley was not helped either with the change in government in the valley. The Congress party came to power and installed Gulam Nabi Azad as the J&K chief minister. Azad, though he hails from Kashmir, has never been a Kashmiri politician in that sense. On the contrary, he has always enjoyed his tenures in the central government and in the party in Delhi. Its well known that he had to take up the role rather unwillingly. His appointment was a further disaster. Azad was never able to appreciate the real pulse of the Aam Janata of the state. He took voluntary decisions which didn’t auger well for the state. Among them his decision to hand over land to the Amarnath Yatra Committee is significant. It worsened the already waning trust deficit and also created the cult of the so called ‘Stone Pelters’ in the streets of Srinagar. Azad failed to foresee the future and inadvertently played in the hands of planners across the border. For the first time, the resistance in the valley gained some indigenious momentum. Credit must be given to the majority of the Kashmiris, who, inspite of immense provocation, never lost faith in the democratic process in the state.
This was amply evident in the subsequent assembly election, wherein they came out in large numbers and participated in the electoral process amidst provocation and intimidation. The entire world took notice of the success of the democratic exercise in the valley. The same, expectedly didn’t go well with the ISI. They eventually realised that unless the cause of Kashmir has some degree of indigenous character, it would be difficult to sustain their agenda in Kashmir. The separatists in the valley were accordingly advised to act upon and ensure more civilian casualties in the ongoing daily skirmishes with the Indian security forces. The plan was to foment mass protests in case of any civilian casualties. This is proving to be a very effective strategy. As more and more antagonized locals protest, higher have been the casualties. The protestors resort to stone pelting, burning down government properties and so on. The generation of Stone Pelters were born in the streets of Srinagar!
It is in this back drop that the National Conference came to power after the successful 2009 assembly elections. Omar Abdullah became the chief minister. Now let’s be clear, Omar is not Sheikh Abdullah, his grandfather! The present chief minister has made several political miscalculations since coming to power. He has miserably failed to read the pulse of the common Kashmiri. The stone pelting crowd has had a quantum growth during his tenure and now the situation is such that, things are simply beyond his control. As more and more civilian casualties happen, the antagonisation process, so close to the hearts of those across the borer, seems to lead even greater turmoil.

The Evolution…

Once upon a time humans would roam around in the forests,
When hungry, they would prey on the creatures of the wild,
They would find solace having retired in the caves, under the trees,
Or even under the vast expanse of the night sky.
Then, one day, an enlightened one amongst them,
Would begin to pile up stones! One above the other!
He would make a home…….HOME!!

As he would return Home after the day’s toils,
His arrival would be awaited my his wife, his little children, his loved ones!
His life would blossom in the warmth of care and love!
After all, he would find all the reasons to live!

Amidst the thousands in the crowd,
He is no one!
Among the countless pebbles on the seashore,
He is a pebble too!
However! the moment he would return to his loving Home,
He would be loved as a King! He is the Husband!
He is the Lord! ……The loved one!

It took thousands of years to build a Home where love dwells!
Not a mere built of brick and mortar……..
HOME!! Where Love dwells!!
One can rebuild, if a house falls apart,
But what if a Home shatters?
Nothing….No one can build it back!

The Chinese Juggernaut in retrospect : An Indian Perspective

Retrospectively China has always been a challenge. This oversized neighbour remains to be one of the most daunting assignments for the South Block.
Recently our two nations celebrated the establishment of 60 years of diplomatic ties. History stands in testament to this relationship which has been anything but of trust.
The modern history of the two neighbours dates back to approximately the same time.
The initial chapter of Sino-Indian relations was a goody-goody affair. Thanks to the Nehruvian Foreign Policy. It was naïve and lacked pragmatism. The Mao-led communists in China soon realised this weakness in Indian foreign policy. The benevolence of Nehru’s foreign policy was based on his so-called principles of Panchsheel or the five pillars, lacked in pragmatism. Nehru’s vision was global but he never realised the fact that a nation’s foreign policy should always be guided by its self interest.
On the contrary, the communist regime in the People’s Republic placed its national interest to the fore front while shaping its foreign policies. They appreciated the fact that in order to sustain and grow the roots of communism, it was sine-qua-non to insulate the chinese society from western influences. Mao’s foreign policies were shaped accordingly. The regime had a vision on China’s geo-strategic role in Asia. They believed in China’s emergence as the dominant power in Asia and were aware of Nehru’s own aspirations too. The hallmark of Mao’s foreign policy was that it was successful in keeping India day-dreaming about the now infamous “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai” as China prepared itself to challenge Nehru at a later date.

The first ‘betrayal’ came at the Bhandung Conference. The Chinese premier Zhou Enlai openly challenged India’s leadership in Asia. China caught Nehru unprepared and as a matter of fact thrashed all the Nehruvian myths on “Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai”

One of the priorities of Maoist China was to consolidate its territory. Its invasion and occupancy of Tibet is significant so far as the Sino-Indian history is concerned. India could do nothing but grant some refuge to the fleeing Tibetan buddhists. The so called Tibetan Government in Exile at Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh came into being. Nehru failed to leverage China’s vulnerability in Tibet as an instrument in India’s foreign policy viz-a-viz his dealings with the communist regime.

The real blow came in 1962 with Nehru failing to take cognizance of China’s expansionist ambitions. Several reports on aggressive posturing and incursions in the Arunachal border were ignored and brushed aside. Nehru was too reluctant to believe the reality at ground. The Indian military presence at the border were far less than what the situation would demand. With no proper infrastructure for a speedy mobilization of troops, the border remained highly vulnerable. India was grossly under preapared! And the inevitable happened! The scanty, ill-equipped Indian presence was overwhelmed and over-run by a pre-planned invasion by the People’s Liberation Army. By the time China halted the hostilities, a significant part of Arunachal have been grabbed by the Chinese. Their objective was met. Nehru was shattered. He couldn’t recover from the shock and passed away two years later.

The present era is altogether a new game so far as Sino-Indian relations are concerned. The entire geo-strategic scenario has evolved since the Nehruvian era. Today’s world in unipolar and asymmetric. Globalization has brought in irreversible changes too. Both China and India have evolved. The former opened its doors to the outside world in the early eighties. Thanks to the pragmatism and contingencies exercised by the communists, China underwent a controlled evolution to a market economy. Over the last two decades, the Chinese economy has burgeoned. With an enviable 10% annual growth in GDP, the Dragon has already announced its eventual arrival in the global geo-political scene. With trade surpluses with most of the other nations, including the US, 1.4 trillion $ in foreign reserves, China has been successfully leveraging its economic might in redefining its foreign policies in the new millennium.

The Nuclear Liability Bill: Pros & Cons

Its brouhaha time again on the nuclear issue. This time on the Nuclear Liability Bill. India has obtained the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG)’s waiver on resuming nuclear commerce in the civilian sector. Bilateral agreements with prospective trading countries are being reached at. The UPA government has already signed deals with the USA, Russia, France, UK, Canada. Negotiations are in progress with other nations as well. Overseas firms dealing in nuclear energy from the nations mentioned above have obvious interests in doing business in India but with limited liability.

They are expected to invest in the nuclear sector, bring in technology and commission power plants. The question that has been the bone of contention is whether these foreign entities should also bear the liabilities in case of nuclear accidents.

Nuclear experts in support of the deal argue that nuclear energy is the most sustainable option in the long-term and has much lower carbon footprint as well. It is perhaps the only effective way to deal with India’s burgeoning demand for power. This has also been the conviction of the present UPA government in Delhi.

Now that several of these power plants will eventually come up across the country, concerns are being raised on the potential risks of nuclear energy. One can possibly argue, given that they are managed well, nuclear power plants are one of the safest ways to produce power for human consumption.

However, even with all the rationales in favour, the question that has caused all the recent brouhaha among the political parties is that of nuclear liability. Now with President Obama’s impending visit, the central government seems to push for the legislation of the liability bill in a hurry, that is what the opposition seem to allege.

In retrospect, India’s report card on management of industrial disasters has not been great. As we still struggle to fix the liabilities for Bhopal even 20 years later, the same has in fact continued to haunt us as we decide on the nuclear issue. The overseas firms, having stakes in the expanding nuclear infrastructure, would obviously wish to see provisions for limited legislated liabilities in the event of a nuclear disaster.

So the pertinent issue here is how do we strike a balance between perceived bottle necks and ensuring accountability.

China's fears!

Rajesh (@RajeshChowdhury) has shared a Tweet with you: "Chellaney: China's challenges in new Year of Rabbit and why it fears the contagion from Egypt, Yemen, etc. may reach its own shores: http://j.mp/hQDaEa" --http://twitter.com/Chellaney/status/33385573427183616