Rupee snaps seven-day falling streak, vaults 26 paise to end at 71.73 against the greenback on RBI succour

The rupee on Friday staged a turnaround to close higher by 26 paise at 71.73 against the US dollar, snapping its seven-session losing streak after heavy intervention by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Weighed down by trade concerns and rising crude prices, the Indian currency breached the 72 mark to trade at 72.04 to the dollar in morning trade.

However, heavy intervention by the RBI predominantly resisted the rupee's sharp depreciation and helped it rebound from record low levels.

Some calm returned to forex front with sentiment soothed by positive comments and 

confidence-building measures from the government after what was described as carnage.

Steady crude oil prices and a relief on the trade front as the US did not slap duties on $200 billion of Chinese goods after the passing of a deadline for a public consultation eased pressure on the local currency.

Benchmark Brent crude oil was trading at $76.74 a barrel in early Asian trade.

The battered rupee lost a whopping 189 paise in the last seven trading sessions which resulted in the worst sell-offs in the forex history.

The rupee resumed higher at 71.95 from overnight level of 71.99 at the inter-bank foreign exchange (forex) market on bouts of dollar selling by state-run banks.

However, intense volatility pushed the rupee to break the 72-mark to hit a low of 72.04 on an intraday basis.

But, the local unit quickly bounced back to trade in positive terrain following central bank intervention. It later touched a session high of 71.65 before ending at 71.73, revealing a gain of 26 paise, or 0.36 per cent.

The Financial Benchmarks India private limited (FBIL), meanwhile, fixed the reference rate for the dollar at 71.9009 and for the euro at 83.6744.

In the cross-currency trade, the rupee recovered against the euro to settle at 83.25 from 83.70 on Thursday.

The home unit, however, remained weak against the Pound sterling to end at 93.19 per pound as compared to 93.08 and also eased against the Japanese yen to close at 64.70 per 100 yens from 64.69.

The 10-year G-Sec yield also softened to end at 8.03 per cent.

The Indian currency stands out as one of the most vulnerable and worst performing currency in Asia this year so far with a steep 13 per cent fall in value against the resurgent dollar bulls

Hardening concerns over slowing capital flows and a wider trade deficit could stretch the funding of India's current account gap due to lower-than-expected goods and services tax collections increased volatility uncertainty in the midst of Trumps geopolitical mess and contagion spreads.

While inflation risks have increased on high oil prices raising the probability of faster hikes in interest rates by the RBI.

Globally, the US dollar traded modestly higher against major trading rivals as investors prepare for the jobs report later in the day.

Against a basket of other currencies, the dollar index was higher at 95.28

In the forward market on Friday, the premium for dollar softened due to sustained receiving from exporters.

The benchmark six-month forward premium payable in January 2019 moved down to 120-122 paise from 122-124 paise and the far-forward July contract also edged lower to 272-274 paise from 275.50-277.50 paise on Thursday.

Forex reserves drop $1.19 bn to $400.10 bn in a week owing to decline in foreign currency assets, gold cache

The country's foreign exchange reserves fell by $1.191 billion to $400.101 billion in the week to 31 August due to a decline in foreign currency assets and gold reserves, according to RBI data.

In the previous week, the forex reserves had increased by $445.4 million to $401.293 billion.

The decline in the country's forex reserves in the past few weeks is on account of the Reserve Bank of India selling US dollars to contain depreciation in the rupee, which touched a lifetime low of 72.11 against the greenback in intra-day trade on Thursday.

It closed at 71.73 on Friday, after opening at 71.95.

In the week ended 31 August, foreign currency assets, a major component of the overall reserves, dipped by $605.1 million to $375.986 billion, as per the RBI data.

Expressed in US dollar terms, foreign currency assets include the effect of appreciation/depreciation of the non-US currencies such as the euro, pound and the yen held in the reserves.

Gold reserves fell by $600.9 million to $20.162 billion in the reporting week.

The special drawing rights with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rose by $5.5 million to $1.477 billion.

The country's reserve position with the IMF also increased by $9.1 million to $2.476 billion, the apex bank said.

Rupee in free fall: A weaker currency may be a temporary setback, but can check Chinese imports

The Indian rupee has crashed past the 72 mark against US dollar and continues to be on a roller coaster ride. The sudden fall has caught the government and the central bank off guard. High volatility in global crude oil prices and a ballooning current account deficit have been blamed for the rupee's free fall. Does rupee at 72 rings alarm bells to the Indian economy or is there an opportunity in the currency crisis as the Narendra Modi government claims? Beginning today, Firstpost will publish a series of articles where experts will examine the economic impact of the rupee fall.

"Look at China," they say, pointing to its highways and the infrastructure at Shanghai.

"Look at China," they say, pointing to its sustained high growth for decades and its huge pile of foreign exchange reserves built by manufacturing exports.

"Look at China," they say, pointing to its emerging geopolitical influence in the Indian Ocean region and Africa.

Strangely, few in India seem to mention that Beijing's economic might was built with a shrewd foreign exchange policy that kept its currency, the renminbi, artificially low for a long period to help its export competitiveness. The Chinese currency is still subject to state controls.

As rupee breached 72 to the US dollar this week, there is a conundrum to solve involving a series of interconnected equations on imports, inflation, fiscal deficit and growth. However, only the naive would think that a strong rupee is necessarily desirable. Shooting off on Twitter to mock a weak rupee has inspired more politics in the social media than sense in the economy.True, there is more to India's trade than its own doings or the exchange rate. A raging trade war between the US and China now threatens world economic growth, that in turn would affect overall export demand for nations including India. Currency shocks in Argentina, Venezuela and Turkey are playing their own role in setting the overall mood for emerging markets in which the rupee has to take a punch on its chin.It is equally true that India's oil imports are high and a weaker currency inflates the import bill, giving a knock-on effect to costs that fuel inflation that in turn can hit interest rates, investments and growth. But, in spite of all that, is there not a  case to be realistic and align the economy with its ground realities when the country is largely committed to market economics?

India's current account deficit (CAD) is in a clear and present danger of widening. Rating service Moody's said last month that the CAD is expected to widen to 2.5 percent in 2018/19 from 1.5 percent in 2016/17, a full percentage point jump over two years.  Net oil imports were as high as 2.6 percent of the GDP in 2017/18 and are expected to grow up further. India's trade deficit in July hit a five-year high.The rupee weakening in such a context should be considered healthy because the exchange rate remains a key instrument of incentive for exports and a disincentive for imports, although that is no silver bullet. Understandably, one person who should know, former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan, has said the rupee's weakness is not a matter for undue concern, although he is a vocal opponent of 'beggar-thy-neighbour' exchange rate policies in world trade.

Rajan took the bull by the horns in 2013, soon after taking charge, when the rupee slid nearly 12 percent against the US dollar in events linked to the beginning of the end of an ultra-cheap monetary policy in the US amid a weak external balance. Things turned around after that, aided both by domestic policies as well as a turn of global events.

Economists may quibble on everything from infrastructure and commodity prices to world economic growth among export drivers. But, as a Bloomberg analysis said this year, a strong currency does hurt exports.A high fiscal deficit and a weak external balance make the currency and the economy vulnerable in the long run, and a weaker currency adjusting to external shocks should be seen as a healthy price signal that can kick in investments to boost exports -- although everything from inflation-linked wages to infrastructure matter in the interconnected flow of things.Also, a weaker rupee can help check reckless import of everything from smartphones to olives and chocolates and can provide a healthy overall macroeconomic protection to local manufacturers including small businesses. Cheap imports from China have hit growth in India in industries ranging from silk to toys and firecrackers.

A parliamentary panel report noted this year that India's trade deficit with China at $63 billion constitutes more than 40 percent of India's trade deficit, with Chinese goods accounting for one-sixth of all imports. The panel even noted that India lost 2,00,000 jobs as a result of Chinese solar panel imports.Consider also the idea that the rupee's weakness may be more contextual than real. The rupee was relatively stronger as a matter of good luck enjoyed by the current NDA government whose arrival coincided with a plunge in oil prices from roughly $100 a barrel levels when it took over to a third of that a year later before resuming a steady climb. Honeymoons do not last forever.

It is only fair that exchange rates reflect domestic inflation that leads to increases in costs for exporters. The US dollar has appreciated by 24 percent to the Indian rupee from its May 2014 level of around Rs 58 to Rs 72 now. This is broadly in line with the growth in the consumer price index over the same period. The Reserve Bank can always step in if there is an irrational pressure on the currency.

China sees its exchange rate regime as a part of a "broad development policy". The least India can do is to at least not artificially keep its rupee strong. A natural, orderly weakening can help the overall economy adjust itself better. It is better to get a jitter now than suffer a shock later.

BJP can be ousted in 2019 election if coalition is stitched: Opposition leaders at Kapil Sibal's book launch

Senior Congress leader P Chidamabaram on Friday predicted a broad alliance of non-BJP parties in at least 25 states in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls that will bring a coalition government, while his colleague Kapil Sibal said there is no way the BJP can retain power if Opposition parties unite.

Speaking at a discussion after the launch of Sibal's book "Shades of Truth", Opposition leaders exuded confidence that a non-BJP government would be in place in 2019 while calling for the need of a coalition of like-minded parties.

Among those present at the launch were former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former vice-president M Hamid Ansari and a host of Opposition leaders. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party, the DMK and the Bahujan Samaj Party were not there.

"I never predict the future. I will predict a step ahead of the election results. I think there is a very very good chance that there will be a broad coalition of non-BJP parties in at least 25 states. That I will predict today. If that happens, then I think night falls day, or day falls night, the result is foretold," Chidambaram said when asked about what will happen in 2019.Sibal, however, said, "I think everything will depend on two key states — Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. And if Gorakhpur, Kairana and Phulpur are any indication, when the Opposition unites, then the BJP cannot win. If we can replicate that in Bihar and in Uttar Pradesh, I think there is no chance for the BJP."

Former JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said, "It is impossible to get everyone together, but even if there is possible unity, this government will have to go." He said all sections of society are being suppressed and the entire country will defeat the BJP in 2019 and the country's Constitution and its values will be restored after that.

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury, while refusing to predict election result, said "What we will work for is to make sure that this government does not return to power, and we will work to strengthen India through a coalition of all the progressive secular forces."

Trinamool Congress leader Chandan Mitra, formerly a BJP MP, however, struck a discordant note saying while the Opposition is expected to win, there will be a regional leader leading it, as the rules will be changed now.

Yechury said, "The Trinamool Congress will correct the historical blunder committed by the CPM."

Former prime minister Singh, however, refused to make any prediction for the next Lok Sabha polls.

Sibal noted,"I think it is time to understand that India as a nation is a coalition. Only coalitions with compromises can take this country forward. Since 2014, the nature of our polity has changed and the difference between the party and the government has ended. It is the party that runs the government and not the government that runs the country," Sibal said.

Chidambaram, however, said since 1989, the Lok Sabha elections have been a collection of state elections as no longer one leader will sway the elections in the country.

"2019 will not be different and it will be a state-specific election. In every state a non-BJP coalition will be formed defeat the BJP. It is wrong to assume that India's election will be a presidential election," he said.

Asked if Rahul Gandhi was up to the job of taking on prime minister Modi, Sibal said, "The prime minister sold dreams to India in 2014. Has he been up to his job?"

For the first time, Chidambaram also acknowledged publicly that the party was divided and he was against impeachment of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, a move that finally failed, while Yechury said the move was delayed and much time was lost in bringing about consensus.

Congress urges Goa governor Mridula Sinha to act against 'sanatani' organisations operating in state

The Goa Congress on Friday urged Governor Mridula Sinha to act against what the party claimed were "sanatani" organisations operating in the state.

The party claimed that several people arrested recently in connection with the murder of rationalists and activists (in Maharashtra and Karnataka) were connected to such right-wing organisations.

"There are sanatani groups which operate in Goa and whose followers have been arrested in connection with the killing of rationalists. We demand that the governor take suo motu action against such organisations," Goa Pradesh Congress Committee president Girish Chodankar said Friday.

A Congress delegation Friday met Governor Sinha here. The Maharashtra and Karnataka police, and the Central Bureau of Investigation, over the past few weeks have arrested several persons who they claim are linked to the killings of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare, and journalist Gauri Lankesh.

ONLINE PLATFORMS CAN'T ABUSE DATA TO IMPACT FREE CHOICE IN INDIA: IT MINISTER

The government on Friday reiterated its firm stand on data privacy and against online platforms abusing data to impact free choice in India.

Speaking at the Global Mobility Summit here on data analytics and mobility, Union Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the acquisition of big data should be done with fair and transparent principles.

"You can't abuse data to impact free choice in India... We have flagged (this) very very clearly," said the Minister.

Of late, the IT Ministry has taken a strong stance on data privacy and its reported misuse in the electoral process of the country, among others.

Earlier, in June Prasad, who is also the Law Minister, had said that any attempt to influence the 2019 general elections by any "covert or overt" manner would not be accepted.

The Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee on data protection in India submitted to the government in July suggested amendments to various laws, including the Aadhaar Act, to provide for imposition of penalties on data fiduciaries for violations of the data protection law.

"The citizen's rights have to be protected, the responsibilities of the states have to be defined, but the data protection can't be at the cost of trade and industry," the report had said.

Prasad, on Friday, further said: "Internet is one of the finest creations of human mind, it should not remain the monopoly of few."

"If Internet is to become truly global it must have linkage with the local -- local ideas, local views, local heritage."

He also emphasised on the need for a balance among data availability, data utility, data innovation, data anonymity and data privacy.

World Hindu Congress: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says Hindu society is 'contemplating its ascent', 'we must work together'

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat called on the world's Hindu community to come together, and work as a society despite the differences.

Speaking at the second World Hindu Congress (WHC) which coincides with the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s speech at the Parliament of World Religions in 1893 in Chicago, Bhagwat said collaboration and "oneness" is the most urgent need for Hindu society to progress. Yet, while pushing for a more abundant territory, Bhagwat used stories from the Mahabharata to explain right-distancing from leadership, obedience, dissent, and patience for results and why it's important to get in line once there's consensus.

Bhagwat framed "our values" as "universal values, now being called Hindu values". He said Hindu society is home to more "meritorious people" but "we don't work together".

"Idealism?" What's wrong with that, jabbed Bhagwat and chose to use synonyms to pushback against the notion that the RSS is "anti-modern".

"If you don't dream, nothing is possible", he said.

Addressing a 2,500 strong audience in downtown Chicago, Bhagwat, speaking in English, said Hindu society must not sit back smugly because of say, mega events like the World Hindu Congress where he was speaking.

"Only our opponents know about this. Many of our own people don't know about it. Why are we suffering for thousand years? We had everything and we knew everything. We forgot to practise what we knew. We also forgot to work together,” he said.

Bhagwat peppered his speech with generous doses of Sanskrit couplets to drive home his central point: scale comes with collaboration but above all, "spirituality" must be the driving force and idealism is a force for the good. Very briefly, Bhagwat touched directly on politics just once in his talk: "Politics must be fought like politics, but do it without changing yourself," he said.

Without taking names or bestowing context, Bhagwat drew parallels in the relationship between Krishna and Yudhishtira in the Mahabharata saying how Krishna never "contradicted" Yudhishtira. "Those who do not subscribe to my opinion are not fools. From your perspective, you are right. What about assimilating all perspectives plus...That's powerful," he said.

Bhagwat began and ended his 40-minute speech with copious quotes from the Bhagwat Gita. "Luck follows your efforts," he began. "What are the values, what goals do you have, that should never be forgotten," he added.

Bhagwat stressed on teamwork and collaborative effort throughout his talk. "...But they never come together. Coming together of Hindus in itself is a difficult thing, Bhagwat said in his inaugural address to the conference inspired by the Hindu principle 'sumantrite suvikrante' or 'think collectively, achieve valiantly'.

“We are both ancient and postmodern. What humanity will need 20 years from now, we are thinking today, we all have to come together. People today are in dire need of our wisdom," he said.

Bhagwat compared Hindu society's status quo with a precise moment in the Mahabharata when the Pandavas in exile suddenly found their fortunes turning around. "That is the moment when luck starts performing pradakshinas (circles/ circling) around you," Bhagwat said.

Reiterating his call for team effort, the RSS chief said the Hindu society will progress and prosper only when it work as a society, and that some organisations or parties working alone will not suffice.

Others who spoke on Day One at the WHC were Illinois Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti, SP Kothari, chairperson, organising committee of the World Hindu Congress, Ashwin Adhin, vice president of Suriname and Raju Reddy, vice-chair of the WHC.

Donald Trump accuses The New York Times of 'treason', urges Jeff Sessions to probe anonymous author of damning op-ed in newspaper

Donald Trump on Friday urged his attorney general to investigate the anonymous author of a damning op-ed, escalating his long-running battles with the media and highlighting his suspicions that people are seeking to overthrow his presidency.

Trump, battling one of the deepest crises in his 20-month presidency, has raged about Wednesday's searing essay, branding its unidentified writer a "gutless" coward and accusing The New York Times of borderline treason for publishing it.

"I would say Jeff (Sessions) should be investigating who the author of that piece was because I really believe it's national security," Trump told reporters traveling with him in North Dakota.

"The Times should never have done that, because really what they've done is virtually, you know, it's treason," the president said in an interview with Fox News broadcast earlier on Friday.

Asked on Air Force One whether action should be taken against the Times, Trump said "I'm looking at that right now."

Trump appeared to be calling for a criminal investigation despite there being no indication that the mystery author broke any laws by releasing his extraordinary column, which detailed how "unsung heroes" were quietly working within the administration to frustrate an amoral president's "worst inclinations."

The Times said in a statement that any such investigation would be an abuse of power, and that Trump's "threats... underscore why we must safeguard the identity of the writer of this op-ed."

"We're confident that the Department of Justice understands that the First Amendment protects all American citizens and that it would not participate in such a blatant abuse of government power," the newspaper said.

'Whodunnit' 

A "whodunnit"-style guessing game has raged in the corridors of power and on social media over the author's identity, prompting nearly every cabinet-ranked member of the government to deny involvement.

Among them was Trump's United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley, who wrote her own op-ed on Friday that assails her unnamed fellow senior official for taking the "very dangerous" step of outlining how members of Trump's team are hamstringing the president.

"A central part of our democracy requires that those who work directly for the president not secretly try to undermine him or his policies," Haley wrote in The Washington Post.

"What the author is describing is an extra-constitutional method of addressing policy disputes within the administration. That's wrong on a fundamental level."

Trump also took aim at a book set for release next week by investigative journalist Bob Woodward which offered a damning portrayal of the administration's inner workings, sparking yet another White House crisis and putting the president on the defensive.

Trump attacked the book as a "scam," and suggested hardening the country's "pathetic" libel legislation.

"Our libel laws should be toughened up so that if somebody writes things that are fraudulent and false, they get sued and they lose," said Trump.

Later at a rally in Fargo, Trump called Woodward an "idiot."

The respected White House chronicler's Fear: Trump in the White House, a 448-page account of an out-of-control administration, draws on hundreds of hours of insider interviews.

Not how democracy works 

Woodward describes a coalition of like-minded aides plotting to prevent the president from destroying the world trade system, undermining national security and sparking wars.

Woodward's is not the first unflattering investigation into Trump's White House, but it has been particularly resonant coming from the man who together with Carl Bernstein authored the Watergate expose that brought down Richard Nixon.He is one of the most respected living US journalists, and has written extensively on modern American presidents, earning praise from Trump in 2013 for his work on Barack Obama.

The book depicts Trump aides working to head off potential foreign policy disasters, disregarding a call by the president for the assassination of his Syrian counterpart, and removing from his desk an order that would have cancelled a US-South Korea trade agreement.

Like Haley, Obama spoke out about the way aides were doing end runs around Trump, saying it was irresponsible to think "that everything will turn out OK because there are people inside the White House who secretly aren't following the president's orders."

"That's not how our democracy is supposed to work," he told students at the University of Illinois, in a speech launching his involvement in the 2018 midterm elections.

The former president has endorsed dozens of Democrats in races across the country, and he will campaign with some of them ahead of the 6 November elections.

Pakistan Army chief Qamar Bajwa meets Imran Khan for first time as PM to discuss security situation

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday had the first formal meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan and discussed the security situation in the country as well as the efforts to ensure long-lasting peace and stability in the region.

Bajwa congratulated Khan on assuming the top ministerial job during their meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, according to a statement issued.

Khan and the army chief discussed the country's security situation in what was their first meeting since Khan was sworn-in as the 22nd premier of Pakistan on 18 August.

The two leaders vowed to maintain their efforts to ensure long-lasting peace and stability in the region, the statement said.

Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won the 25 July general election amidst the perception that the Pakistan Army, a major player in Pakistan's politics, has thrown its weight behind his party.

The powerful military has ruled coup-prone Pakistan for nearly half of the country's history since independence in 1947.

Khan and Bajwa had held their first meeting in 2017 when the cricketer-turned-politician congratulated the latter over his promotion and appointment as army chief, Dawn News reported.

Hardik Patel gives up water on 13th day of hunger strike as Patidar leader's 'ultimatum' to Gujarat govt expires

Patidar agitation spearhead Hardik Patel, who is on an indefinite fast since 25 August, on Thursday night gave up taking water to press for the demand for reservations for his community and loan waiver for farmers.

But the Gujarat government remained unmoved despite medical reports about Patel's worsening health.

Patel's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had served the Gujarat Government a 24-hour ultimatum to initiate talks with him over their demands. The government maintained that the agitation was sponsored by the Congress.

PAAS spokesman Manoj Panara said the ultimatum expired at 7 pm and the 25-year-old Patel decided to stop consuming water.

Earlier too, he had given up drinking water but was persuaded by leaders of the community after seven days of his fast as his health started deteriorating.

Panara said Hardik Patel, who took a stroll in a wheel-chair of the compound of his residence where he is fasting and met some of his supporters in the afternoon, would stop having even a drop of water and the state Government would be responsible for the consequences.

Manoj Panara came up with an allegation, though unsubstantiated, that the PAAS had "definite information" that the state government was "conspiring to kill Hardik" as a warning to all those who dared raised their voice "against the autocratic rule of the BJP".

He said the government hospital doctors, who were appointed to monitor Hardik Patel's health, had started claiming that his kidney, heart and several other organs had been "infected" but the private medical practitioners had refuted the claim.

Meanwhile, a state Congress delegation called on Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and submitted a memorandum requesting him to intervene and initiate dialogue with the PAAS to break the impasse.

Gujarat Congress threatens to observe day-long fast in solidarity with Hardik Patel, doesn't mention quota demand

The Gujarat Congress on Thursday announced that it would observe a 24-hour fast on Friday in support of Hardik Patel if the state government did not begin talks with the Patidar leader. Hardik's fast, launched by him on 25 August at his farmhouse near here, entered its 13th day on Thursday as the visibly weak Patidar leader was seen being moved around in a wheelchair. Doctors from the Sola Civil hospital, after an examination, advised him to immediately get admitted for medical treatment.
As many as 30 state Congress leaders, including the party's state unit chief Amit Chavda, Leader of Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Paresh Dhanani and around 25 MLAs, met Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in connection with Hardik's fast on Thursday. The Congress delegation demanded that the state government begin negotiations with the Patidar leader and accept his demands concerning farm loan 
waiver. "If the government does not give a positive response to our demand, the Congress will sit on a 24-hour fast at each district headquarters of the state from 11 am tomorrow in Hardik's support," Dhanani told reporters at Gandhinagar after meeting Rupani. "The government should immediately start talks with Hardik and sort out the issues raised by him," he said. The Congress's memorandum, submitted to Rupani, however, did not make any mention of the quota demand for the Patidar community.

Hardik's Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) had on Wednesday night threatened that he would stop taking water if the government did not begin the negotiations within 24 hours. Following the completion of the deadline to the government, Hardik on Thursday stopped drinking water, a PAAS leader said. "We feel that the BJP government is not interested in the issues concerning the farmers and the people of Gujarat. Since it has not expressed its willingness even after the expiry of our ultimatum, Hardik has now stopped taking water," PAAS convener Manoj Panara said. Talking to reporters at Hardik's residence on Thursday evening, he said the Patidar leader would continue to abstain from consuming water till the state government came forward for talks.

While the BJP government in Gujarat has asked Hardik several times to call off his fast, it has not cleared its stand on talking to the Patidar leader over his demands. Reacting to the Congress leaders' meeting with the chief minister, Gujarat revenue minister Kaushik Patel said the government had not received any official representation from the PAAS to hold talks with Hardik. "A few days back, we had appealed to the Patidar leaders, who came to meet us over this issue, to convince Hardik to end his fast. The government is also worried about Hardik. However, they (PAAS and Hardik) did not listen to the senior community leaders," the minister told reporters.
Putting the onus on the Congress to clear its stand on the issue of reservations, he said, "Even today, we have asked Dhanani to persuade Hardik to end his fast. We will think about holding talks with the PAAS if they make a representation to us." Gujarat BJP chief Jitu Vaghani also tried to corner the Congress over the issue, claiming that the party's double standards were exposed as there was no mention of reservation for the Patidars in its memorandum submitted to the chief minister. "The Congress as well as the agitators are diverting the issue. Now, they are not talking about reservation to Patidars under the OBC quota. If the Congress has the guts, it must put it in writing that it is in favour of including the Patidars in the current quota meant for the OBCs. "This agitation is a pressure tactic. The government has to keep in mind the interests of all the communities. The Congress is playing politics. It is up to the agitators and the Congress to decide what they want to do about the fast. The BJP and the government have no role in it," he said.
Patel is on an indefinite fast demanding reservations in government jobs and education for the Patidar community as well as waiver of farmers' loans.

Imran Khan skips anti-India rhetoric on Pakistan's Defence Day, but goes extra mile to reach out to military

A substantial portion of Pakistan army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa's speech at the country's Defence Day event on Thursday was aimed at India, and it was little surprise that it caught the attention of the media on this side of the border. On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan's speech at the same event was remarkable for what it largely steered clear of — rhetoric against New Delhi.

The only time that Khan referred to India — whether directly or indirectly — was when he narrated his memories of the 1965 war, when he was twelve years old. This was to be expected, since the Defence Day commemorates the Battle of Chawinda during the 1965 war. However, barring this, Khan's speech was largely focused inwards; and when he did take a stand that was critical of a foreign country, it was with respect to the United States, not India.

Shortly into his address, Khan received a huge applause when he said, "It is my promise to you that Pakistan will not get into anyone else's war." He further said, "Our duty is to stand up for own people, and our foreign policy will also be aimed at the betterment of the people of Pakistan."

Through this, Khan took an unambiguous swipe at the United States, a country which he has repeatedly accused of having 'imposed' its war against terrorism on Pakistan. He had taken a similar stand in his victory speech after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf won the most seats in the recently concluded election to the country's National Assembly.

He had said, "With the US, we want to have a mutually beneficial relationship...up until now, that has been one way, the US thinks it gives us aid to fight their war...we want both countries to benefit, we want a balanced relationship."

The PTI chief has pulled no punches in attacking the US over involving Pakistan in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan in the past. The following tweet amply indicates his position on the issue:

These statements were made after US president Donald Trump made scathing remarks against Pakistan on New Year's Day, accused it of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists in return for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years, thinking of American leaders as "fools".

Khan's statements on Thursday at the Defence Day event constituted an extension of the same stance.

Most of his speech emphasised on improving the human development situation of Pakistan, including health, agriculture and access to justice. He said, "I want a country where people who send their children to government schools believe that these children will grow up to be doctors, engineers, or army generals. When labourers believe that their rights are not being granted, they should be able to approach courts to access justice."

Khan also observed that 33 percent of children in Pakistan suffer from stunted growth, and said, "We should consider them to be our children."

In sum, as mentioned before, the Pakistan prime minister's only statements about India were about a war which took place over fifty years, ago.

On the other hand, army chief Bajwa spoke about the present-day situation. Observing that enlightened nations do not forget their martyrs, he asserted, "We will avenge the blood which has been shed on the border." This was not the only time in Bajwa's speech when he made an indirect reference to India. He further said, "I salute the brothers and sisters of Kashmir, who have shown the spirit of bravery and sacrifice."

Bajwa also made references to human development challenges by terming them as 'another war' that the country is fighting, but these references were brief ones.

While it is true that Khan largely desisted from attacking India, what may worry New Delhi is his zealous attempt to reach out to the military establishment, which is widely believed to call the shots in the country. The prime minister heaped lavish praise on the armed forces, while making veiled criticism of other authorities. He said, "I have come to the conclusion that if there is one institution which is intact and is functioning, it is the armed forces. There is no political interference, and there is a culture of professionalism."

He even made a specific reference to the country's bureaucracy, saying that during the 1960s, it was considered as one of the best civil services in Asia, as it was then a professional one. While he did not make a comment on the present-day bureaucracy, he seemed to imply that the situation is not the same today.

"When there is political interference by politicians like us, and when the institutions are destroyed — that is when a country is destroyed," he said.

Towards the end of his speech, Khan also denied that there is any conflict in civil-military relations in the country, saying that it was a 'myth' being spread by some people. "Both (military and political leadership) have the common goal of uplifting the people of Pakistan," he asserted. His statement is particularly significant considering that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif had fallen out of favour with the 'establishment,' and is now in prison. Sharif's party, the PML-N, had based its campaign on the slogan 'vote ko izzat do'  (respect the vote), indicating that the political class was being undermined.

In an audio message from jail released before the polls, Sharif had hinted at army interference in the political process, saying, "I am seeing that the whole country has been turned into a jail. We have to break these shackles and get out of this jail and rid the 70-year-old game that has turned the prime minister of Pakistan into a tamasha." He had further said, "In the past a dictator (Pervez Musharraf) couldn't end our relationship and neither will they be able to break our relationship today."

In this backdrop, while Imran Khan's omission of references to present-day tensions with India offer some encouragement, the Pakistan prime minister's speech also makes it clear that he has no intention of rubbing the armed forces the wrong way.