india today_vol_xlvi

DEFENCE: UDAIPUR: THE OTT SHOWS: OC Published on every Friday of Advance Week; Posted at LPC Delhi – RMS – Delhi – 110006 on Every Friday & Saturday; Total number of Pages 68 (including cover pages) THE DRONE ACHARYA TERROR NETWORK SOUTHERN SURGE www.indiatoday.in JULY 18, 2022 `75 DL (DS)-03/MP/2022-23-24; RNI NO. 28587/75 REGISTERED NO. DL(ND)-11/6068/2021-22-2023; LICENSED TO POST WPP NO. U(C )-88/2021-23; FARIDABAD/05/2020-22 UNITED COLOURS OF BJP THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PARTY’S BREATHTAKING EXPANSION AIDED BY DEFECTORS FROM THE OPPOSITION



FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF T he Bharatiya Janata Party was known till rec- the party’s face in the public? This is where the real haemor- ently as a cadre-based party with its leadership rhage has been happening for the Congress…and where the schooled in the ideology and ways of the RSS. BJP has been writing a most remarkable chapter in the book Now it has become a many-splendoured thing. of its evolution. Call it political Darwinism. In 2022, we find the BJP, along with their allies, ruling 17 states, covering over half of India’s population. T he BJP’s expansion has been happening in two ways. With Modi and his chief strategist, the indefatigable Amit One geographically and the other in terms of the chang- Shah, at the wheel, the broadening of the party’s footprint ing face of its leadership. It happens through unforced across the map has carried on relentlessly, without pausing conversion or plain old defection, often accompanied by for breath. The BJP has given tickets to 833 turncoats for the drama of resorts. Take the case of Scindia, a former the assembly polls in the last decade. Out of them, 44 per Congress general secretary and one-time trusted lieutenant cent got elected, many of them twice. Within the same time of Rahul Gandhi. He staged a dramatic walkout from the frame, 462 moved out of the saffron fold too, but only 14 per Grand Old Party in March 2020 and went over to the BJP, cent of those could make a success out of their transition. To- taking 22 sitting MLAs along with him. Using that leverage, day, the BJP has 1,387 legislators in assemblies the BJP pulled in six more legislators. And across India, out of a total of 4,120. that led to the collapse of the Kamal Nath gov- Even among chief ministers, you can count ernment. Madhya Pradesh, which the BJP had on bigwigs from other parties—most promi- lost in the December 2018 election, was now nently Assam’s Himanta Biswa Sarma (Cong- in its pocket. Somewhat similar scenarios have ress, 2015), who opened up the Northeast for played out in Goa, Manipur and Karnataka. the saffron party, Arunachal’s Pema Khandu Effecting wholesale imports is only one- and Manipur’s N. Biren Singh (both from half of the story, as Senior Editor Anilesh S. Congress, in 2016) and Karnataka’s Basavaraj Mahajan writes in our cover story this week. Bommai (who managed to convert from soc- The real question is how well the immigrants ialism to saffron back in 2008). This process adjust. For a strictly cadre-based party like has also enriched the talent pool available at April 12, 2021 the BJP, with its roots in the distinctly col- the Centre. There are 16 ministers in Modi’s lectivised ideals of the RSS, the fact that most council who have come from other parties— of the turncoats come with different political among them, Arjun Munda (from JMM in cultures poses problems at two levels. Firstly, 1998) came on board long before Modi became these cultures are often individualistic—the a national figure, Sarbanand Sonowal and Ki- Congress, for instance, gave a lot of space for ren Rijiju (AGP and Congress, both ’12) as he such politics among its regional leaderships was making his strides to Lutyens’ Delhi, and within its overall umbrella—and the question the other 13 in the run-up to 2014 or after, like of integration is not easy. Secondly, it increases MSME minister Narayan Rane (who merged the sense of insecurity among the existing his Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha with the cadre and prima facie threatens to dilute the BJP in 2019) and civil aviation minister Jyoti- BJP’s political values. That’s why CMs like raditya Scindia (from Congress in 2020). This December 13, 2021 Himanta and Bommai have chosen to scotch process has bled the Congress the most—the this risk by going on the front foot and crafting BJP’s augmentation has been chiefly at its cost, a politics that can sync perfectly with Hindu- so the Congress has registered a concomitant decline in its tva—indeed, taking it to an edgier right-wing space. But the roster of recognisable faces. challenge remains. “It might be a good strategy when the The BJP is now the largest political party in the world. It party is growing, but the real test is if and when there is a had already achieved that distinction back in March 2015, downturn. Will they stick around? Are they not joining be- less than a year into the reign of Prime Minister Narendra cause of political opportunism?” asks a veteran BJP leader. Modi, when it clocked 100 million primary members. At The BJP has changed the political landscape of the coun- last count, in 2019, it had touched a whopping 180 mill- try by being the dominant force, but it has, in the process, ion—or 13.31 per cent of India’s population—and we can changed itself. The consequences of this, for better or worse, safely assume that graph has breached 200 million by now. will have a far-reaching effect on the country’s politics. „ Its nearest rival, the Communist Party of China, has only 96.71 million—less than half—as of 2022. But then, the CPC doesn’t have to bother with democratic niceties like elections. Interestingly, the Indian National Congress still weighs in at No. 4, with 45 million members (the Demo- (Aroon Purie) cratic Party in the US is at No. 3, with 48 million). This is at the cadre level—the infantry, so to speak. What about the generals and their lieutenants, the leaders who represent J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 3

www.indiatoday.in 18 Photo illustration by BANDEEP SINGH CHAIRMAN AND EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Aroon Purie COVER STORY VICE CHAIRPERSON: Kalli Purie GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Dinesh Bhatia SAFFRONISED SATRAPS GROUP EDITORIAL DIRECTOR: Raj Chengappa The past decade has seen a steady stream of politicians defecting to the BJP as the sa ron party’s footprint spreads across the country CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Manoj Sharma UPFRONT INSIDE LEISURE GROUP CREATIVE EDITOR: Nilanjan Das; GROUP PHOTO EDITOR: Bandeep Singh SHAHIDUL ALAM: A ROCK EDITOR (FEATURES): Kai Jabir Friese THE RUPEE: AN IN A HARD PLACE PG 61 MANAGING EDITORS: Sunil Menon, S. Sahaya Ranjit UNHOLY DIP PG 6 EXECUTIVE EDITORS: M.G. Arun, Manisha Saroop, Kaushik Deka Q&A WITH SENIOR DEPUTY EDITOR: HYDERABAD: Amarnath K. Menon PLASTIC BAN: B.V. DOSHI DEPUTY EDITORS: Shwweta Punj, Sasi Nair; JAIPUR: Rohit Parihar THE LAST STRAW SENIOR EDITORS: Anilesh S. Mahajan, Ashish Mukherjee; MUMBAI: Suhani PG 9 PG 68 Singh, Kiran Dinkar Tare; PATNA: Amitabh Srivastava SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Sonali Acharjee; KOLKATA: Romita Sengupta; UDAIPUR MADHYA PRADESH UAVs BHOPAL: Rahul Noronha ASSISTANT EDITOR: Aditya Wig 32 EXTREME 36 THE CLASS 40 THE DESI PHOTO DEPARTMENT: Rajwant Singh Rawat, BELIEF BARRIER DRONE Chandra Deep Kumar (Principal Photographer), MUMBAI: Mandar Suresh Deodhar (Chief Photographer) The NIA investigation CM RISE schools The DRDO successfully PHOTO RESEARCHERS: Prabhakar Tiwari (Chief Photo Researcher), into the Udaipur killing look to redefine tests a stealth drone Saloni Vaid (Principal Photo Researcher) hints at radicalisation education prototype CHIEF OF GRAPHICS: Tanmoy Chakraborty ART DEPARTMENT: Sanjay Piplani (Deputy Creative Editor); OTT CONTENT CONCL AV E E AST Note to the reader: From Angshuman De (Art Director) time to time, you will see pages Siddhant Jumde (Chief Illustrator) 44 SOUTHERN 48 DIFFICULT PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT: Harish Agarwal (Chief of Production), SURGE DIALOGUE titled ‘An Impact Feature’ or Naveen Gupta (Chief Coordinator) ‘Focus’ in INDIA TODAY. 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THE RUPEE A weak currency need not necessarily reflect a weak economy, but it does indicate under- UNHOLY lying issues that, if unaddressed, can do it DIP harm. In that sense, the slide of the rupee ever since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine By M.G. Arun in February is worrisome. From 75.4 to a dollar on February 24, the day Russian troops advanced into Illustration by NILANJAN DAS Ukraine, the rupee slid to 79.14 to a dollar, its lowest ever, on July 5. Since the beginning of the calendar year, the rupee has fallen 6.2 per cent against the



UPFRONT dollar. “Going by the way the rupee has to the levels seen during the global account deficit (CAD), or the differ- been falling, it will certainly go up to 80 financial crisis,” HSBC Global Research ence between the value of the country’s to a dollar,” says Jamal Mecklai, CEO of said in a research note in May. imports and exports. A higher CAD can Mecklai Financial Services. But he can’t put the rupee under pressure again, predict exactly when, since that result is The Centre, however, maintains that and also make overseas borrowing subject to market forces and the course currencies are weakening all around the expensive. India’s CAD rose to $13.4 of the war, inflation and crude oil prices. world and not just in India. “The RBI billion (around Rs 1 lakh crore) in the is very keenly watching the exchange fourth quarter of 2021-22, up from A key reason for the weak rupee rate,” Union finance minister Nirmala $8.1 billion (Rs 63,936 crore) in the has been the strengthening of the dol- Sitharaman said on July 1. “We are not same period a year ago due to higher lar against all major currencies. On merchandise imports. The CAD is June 15, the US Federal Reserve hiked IN FREE FALL expected to widen to 3 per cent of GDP interest rates by 75 basis points, the this fiscal, with imports becoming cost- biggest increase since 1994, signalling 75.4 lier owing to higher commodity prices, a shift from a low interest rate regime while exports face slowing external to higher rates in a bid to contain rising RUPEE ON FEBRUARY 24, demand, ratings firm Crisil said in a inflation. Higher interest rates become AGAINST THE DOLLAR recent research note. Acknowledging an attractive proposition for inves- that the falling rupee will impact our tors seeking higher returns on bonds. 79.14 imports, Sitharaman said, “That is one Such global investors sell their invest- thing I am very watchful and mind- ments in local currencies elsewhere RUPEE AGAINST THE DOLLAR, ful of because a lot of our industries do in exchange for dollar investments, ITS LOWEST EVER, ON JULY 5 depend on some essential goods to be strengthening the American currency. imported for their production.” Crisil 6.2% expects the rupee-dollar exchange rate Rising inflation is yet another rea- to remain volatile, and the exchange son. In India, inflation has breached RUPEE’S FALL AGAINST THE rate to settle at 78 to a dollar by the the Reserve Bank of India-set upper DOLLAR SINCE JAN. 1, 2022 time the financial year ends. limit of 6 per cent for five consecu- tive months beginning this January. WHAT’S FUELLING IT? The RBI has been intervening in In May, retail inflation was 7.04 per the forex markets to shore up the rupee. cent. This was after the RBI, in a sur- Ô Strengthening dollar as Fed On its behalf, state-run banks have prise move prompted by the alarming hikes interest rates by 75 basis resorted to a heavy selling of dollars. 7.79 per cent registered in April, raised points However, there is a flip side to the RBI the repo rate, or the rate at which it Ô High inflation in India at over 7 move: it depletes the country’s forex lends to commercial banks by 40 basis per cent reserves. The RBI has spent over $41 points (bps) on May 4. In June, the Ô FIIs selling shares worth Rs billion of its reserves since February in RBI thought it fit to raise the repo rate 2.14 lakh crore since April 2021 defending the nation’s currency, says a again, by another 50 bps. Ô High crude prices, at $111 a Barclays report. India’s forex reserves barrel as on July 4 fell below the $600 billion mark for the The other reasons are the sharp first time in a year in the week ended sell-offs in the equity markets by for- alone in this world. We are also open as April 29. Our forex reserves stood at eign institutional investors (FIIs) and an economy... [if you compare the rupee $593.3 billion for the week ended June the high prices of crude, which stood against the dollar and other currencies 24. In another measure, the Centre on at $111.5 a barrel for Brent on July 4. versus the dollar] the rupee has per- July 1 raised import duty on gold to 15 When the bond yields (return on a formed relatively better.” per cent from 10.75 per cent to arrest bond’s interest payments) go up in the the rupee’s fall. “Till now, the RBI was US and UK, FIIs find those markets A weak rupee is good news only for selling dollars from the reserves. Now, more attractive, which explains the exporters, since they get more rupees the Centre has stepped in. The pressure flight of capital back to those markets. for their dollar earning. It is detrimen- is high; we will have to see if it intensi- FIIs sold shares worth Rs 2.14 lakh tal, though, to the Indian economy fies,” says Mecklai. “Be sane, and if you crore in Indian markets between April as it is likely to widen the current have an exposure in the market, have a 1, 2021, and June 10, 2022, as per structured process to protect yourself.” National Securities Depository Limited Nothing seems to be going well for the data. The continuing war in Ukraine rupee right now, and the general advice will only aggravate such selling. “A pro- from experts is that India needs to get longed conflict may still trigger further used to a weaker currency. „ selling—we estimate around $7-8 bil- lion outflows in such a scenario, similar 8 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

GETTY IMAGES SUNITA NARAIN PERSPECTIVE PLASTIC BAN THE LAST STRAW W e must know what we First things first. The ban is a small 6 in the world as a disposer of plastic are up against—how step—indeed, too small—but a criti- into the seas. The Indus is No. 2. Out immense the challenge cal step forward for India. Even in its in the sea, they often find decades-old before us is—as we look limited form, the ban can at least get toothbrushes, but most of the plastic at India’s ban on single-use plastic that us thinking...and moving. It seeks to doesn’t retain its shape: it gets broken kicked in on July 1. Anyone who has list out and proscribe items of daily use down into its constituent polymers. been to a beach and has received a mes- that we use just once and then discard. This is the ‘plastic soup’ that gets into sage in a bottle knows it’s a stark one. It’s a woefully incomplete list, but for fish, into you, into everything. The bottle is made of plastic. So is the starters we have those flimsy plastic water—almost. That’s the message. The cups you get at roadside kiosks, straws Secondly, we must acknowledge— bottle may seem tiny compared to the you never think twice about throwing despite all the sense of foreboding and vast sea, but have you heard of trash after you finish your cool drink—and resistance coming from industry—that vortexes? The largest one, the Great yes, those omnipresent carry bags, any- the list of banned items is not nearly Pacific Garbage Patch, is estimated to thing less than 120 micron thickness, comprehensive enough. If our objec- have an area of 1.6 million sq. km—a by December 2022. Out of our hands, tive is really to get rid of all single-use floating bridge of semi-dissolved trash they stay omnipresent, flying around items of plastic, the list should without between California and Japan. We have our streets like ghosts, leaching into the doubt include multi-layered packag- one of our own, in the Indian Ocean, soil at landfills, or choking our drains, ing. This is the ubiquitous devil that toxifying the blue waters between eventually being washed out via our comes to us covering virtually all fast- South Africa and Australia. Scientists rivers into the seas—poisoning every- moving consumer goods—from chips have called it a “thin plastic soup”. thing they touch. The Ganga ranks No. to shampoo to gutka pouches. Make no mistake: this is the real menace when J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 9

UPFRONT it comes to plastic contamination. It is almost impossible to collect and then absolutely impossible to process. The only thing that can be done with it is to incinerate it at cement plants, which almost never happens. How do we know? Because the rare comprehen- sive study of the kind of plastic found at landfills invariably throws this up. Remember that when you reach for the few pieces of spiced potato inside that colourful yellow piece of plastic. W hat must be done? Two GETTY IMAGES simple steps, covering all casually used, non-special- responsibility’, where manufacturing agency, contracted by companies to col- ised forms of plastic—which is nearly (or consuming) companies are required lect waste on their behalf to meet their half of what’s produced. First, even the to collect the amount of waste they EPR targets, I saw waste brought by last carry bag and earbud and chips generate and despatch it for reprocess- municipal trucks being put on conveyor packet must be collected. Two, this ing. There are annual targets. Seems to belts and getting sorted. Reusable stuff— waste plastic material, once collected, work like clockwork...in theory. In real- aluminium et al—was going back to the must be recycled or incinerated—under ity, the quantum of plastic made/con- market. In the end, they were saddled no circumstances must it be allowed to sumed by industry is measured only by with mountains of cleanly sorted plastic make its way into landfills or waterbod- them. Nothing is available in the public that had nowhere to go: transporting ies. The incineration must obviously be domain for us to assess the accuracy of to cement incinerators was too costly done in an environment-friendly way, what they declare. The EPR system is, for them. Multi-layered packaging and not end up creating more pollution or thus, a hollow one—even if you discount pouches formed the bulk of this. The health hazards for workers. Here, we the alarming fact that they have a gener- agency was running out of space. have the additional burden brought on ous window of two years to recycle the by Covid-19, which has—unfortunately, waste they produce today. Further down the value chain for big if unavoidably—meant an explosion business—and most middle class—are of plastic in our midst, even more nor- What plays in the meantime? Half- the millions in the informal sector who malised in the form of protection gear, solutions that merely serve to hide actually manage to find options for plas- from gloves to body suits. the truth. On a visit to an authorised tic reuse. Our real waste warriors, who at least defer the burden on the planet. Collection itself is a notoriously IF WE WANT TO BAN Beyond that, you have the recycling difficult task. Take carry bags, for SINGLE-USE PLASTIC “factories”—a Dickensian world where instance. The ban on them is not a new more poor people work in appalling thing—some 25 states and Union ter- OF ALL SORTS, THE conditions to atone for our sins. Inside ritories already have a complete ban on LIST MUST INCLUDE one in Bawana, an industrial locality in them. But we know how it works out THE MULTI-LAYERED Delhi, plastic segregated into types is first in practice. The thickness, especially, is PACKAGING WE GET cleaned in vats, boiled, heated and made an area of concern: governments and OUR CHIPS, GUTKHA to run through coils until it becomes like regulators take the easy way out by say- wire. This is then shredded into plastic ing it’s difficult to judge and regulate. AND SHAMPOO IN granules that take on new forms before Enforcing this in right earnest will be reaching you again. our biggest challenge—the make-or- break element in this battle. Ensuring that we insist on recycled The other challenge is the fix- ing of responsibility. The government makes well-intentioned noises—wit- ness Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s powerful call during I-Day 2019, asking Indians to give up the “habit of plastic”. Now, all packaging material is sup- posed to be part of ‘extended producer 10 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

61.2 APNA DAL RIFT GMS FAMILY FEUD plastic produced per capita By Prashant Srivastava per day by Goa; Delhi is at 37 gms; National avg: 8 gms. In Uttar Pradesh, the Kurmi community is considered the second-most influ- 287 ential OBC (other backward classes) GMS group after the Yadavs. Both the ruling per capita per day is the BJP and the principal opposition, the SP US avg; UK: 271 gms (Samajwadi Party), have Kurmi allies—the 9,200 BJP has the Anupriya Patel-led Apna Dal MILLION (S), while the SP has the Apna Dal (K), CHANDRADEEP KUMAR tonnes of plastic produced globally between led by her mother Krishna Patel, backed 1950-2017 by her other daughter, Pallavi. The two plastic as a strict policy is one part of a bargain we must strike with the factions are presently locked in a family future. The other is to think local: the richer countries have been tipping feud to claim the legacy of Sonelal Patel, their garbage vans on the poorer South, and everyone has been caught the founder of Apna Dal. Wife or daugh- up in the ‘Not In My Backyard Spirit’ after China banned the import of ter? Who should inherit the right to claim plastic waste in 2018. But we must look after our own backyard—pro- that they represent the community? FACING OFF (Clockwise ducing, recycling and incinerating A major flashpoint between the from top left) Anupriya, safely within our cities, closing the Krishna and Pallavi Patel loop as it were. India’s plastic waste two came over the birth anniversary problem is still not as big as that of of Sonelal on July 2 at the Indira Gandhi the West, but we’re getting there. Rich states like Goa produce over 60 Pratisthan in Lucknow. Krishna and grams per capita per day; Delhi is catching up with 37 gm per capita. Pallavi had sharp words for Anupriya, power, because she is a central minister India’s per capital average, around 8 gm, ranks low but our population alleging that she and her husband and her husband is a cabinet minister means we are the No. 2 producer in the world. Globally, over half of all Ashish were behind the application filed in UP. Now, after defeating UP’s deputy the plastic produced since 1950 was produced in the last dozen-odd years. by Krishna to host the commemora- CM at the polls, Pallavi has also gained As we aspire for a $5-trillion econo- my, we must keep an eye out for this tion being cancelled. Instead, it was the a lot of traction.” When it comes to the graph—it maps our disaster. „ Anupriya-led Apna Dal (S) that did the fight over Sonelal’s legacy, Pallavi says, Sunita Narain is director-general, Centre for Science and Environ- honours. “Before being a father, Sonelal “Every year, supporters commemo- ment, New Delhi was a husband. I have the first right over rate his birth and death anniversaries. him. Who is she to snatch This year, the plan was [away] my rights?” to hold [a celebration] Krishna reportedly asked. in Lucknow. We sought Sonelal was a close Who inherits the permission to do so at aide of Kanshi Ram and legacy of Sonelal Ravindralaya, then at a founding member of Patel? Wife or Vishveshwarya audito- the BSP (Bahujan Samaj rium and then at Mercury Party). He founded the daughter? It’s a auditorium of the Indira Apna Dal in 1995. After critical question: Gandhi Pratisthan.” After his death, Anupriya con- it opens the door permission was denied, tested the 2012 assembly Krishna and Pallavi organ- election from Varanasi’s to a powerful ised protests in Lucknow, Rohania, winning the OBC group. which resulted in them seat, and then the 2014 being taken into custody. Lok Sabha polls from The fight over Mirzapur, winning again. Sonelal’s legacy is not a The same year, Krishna was defeated in trivial one. Both parties are keen to be the contest for her daughter’s old seat, seen as the real torchbearers, because Rohania. Sources say this is when a rift that opens the doors to a prosperous first appeared between Krishna and OBC community that’s a major electoral Anupriya, leading to the latter forming factor in over a dozen eastern UP dis- her own breakaway party, the Apna Dal tricts, including Pratapgarh, Prayagraj, (S). In 2022, Krishna Patel’s Apna Dal (K) Sonbhadra and Mirzapur. Prof Pankaj allied with the SP for the assembly elec- Kumar of Allahabad University’s Political tions, with Pallavi Patel defeating deputy Science department says the fight will CM Keshav Maurya at the polls. grow fiercer as the 2024 Lok Sabha A source in the Apna Dal (K) says, polls approach—and both factions seek a “Earlier, Anupriya’s faction had more stronger leverage during alliance talks.„ J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 11

ANI SWITCH HIT Tejashwi Yadav welcomes the four AIMIM MLAs into the RJD BIHAR have lost their entire legislative pres- ence in the state due to such switcho- The Turncoat E ect vers. Ironically, the Mukesh Sahani-led VIP was a BJP ally in the 2020 polls. By Amitabh Srivastava In its push to expand its own footprint, the BJP offered no concession even to I n the evening of June 29, four three MLAs of the Vikassheel Insaan allies. In February 2021, it had inducted legislators who had joined the Party (VIP)—Raju Singh, Swarna Nutan Singh, the lone LJP MLC, leav- Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Singh and Mishrilal Yadav—but even ing Chirag Paswan’s party without rep- removed their footwear before that left it with only 77 MLAs. resentation in the legislative council. entering party chief Lalu Prasad’s Two months later, Paswan’s party also room to seek his blessings. The four Actually, the AIMIM, with its lone lost its only MLA, Raj Kumar Singh, to MLAs—Muhammed Izhar Asfi, MLA, is better placed than parties like the Janata Dal (United). Shahnawaz Alam, Syed Ruknuddin VIP, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Ahmad and Mohammed Anzar and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) that Visibly upset at the RJD and the Nayeemi—had won their seats in turncoats, Iman said, “They have betra- the 2020 assembly polls for the All BIHAR ASSEMBLY yed the people’s mandate and will have India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen AFTER 2020 POLLS to pay for it.” VIP chief Sahani calls for (AIMIM). Their defection has left the a constitutional amendment. “Small Asaduddin Owaisi-led party with one SMALLER PARTIES WITH parties like ours are easy prey for big MLA in Bihar—Akhtarul Iman. 5 OR FEWER MLAS parties like the BJP, which have made the 10th schedule (the anti-defection When BJP spokesman Nikhil Ô LJP-1, BSP-1, AIMIM-5, law) ineffective. There should be a rule Anand ridiculed the gesture as a sign HAM(S)-4, VIP-4, CPI-2, that any MLA or MP who switches of servility, many described his com- CPI (M)-2 sides mid-term would lose his seat....,” ment as an expression of envy. After says Sahani, who now has no MLAs. all, with these inductions taking its CURRENT STATUS strength to 80 MLAs, the RJD has The 2020 assembly election had once again become the single largest Ô LJP, BSP and VIP no longer seen the rise of several small parties, party in the 243-member legislative exist in the assembly, having with five MLAs from AIMIM, four each assembly. Just three months ago, the lost all MLAs to bigger from VIP and the Hindustani Awam BJP had used the same method to parties, while AIMIM is left Morcha (Secular) or HAM(S) led by become the largest party in the assem- with just 1 MLA former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi, and one bly for the first time by inducting all each from the LJP and the BSP. They Ô Beneficiaries: RJD were expected to play a big role as no 12 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 inducted 4 AIMIM MLAs, BJP top party could muster a majority on got 3 VIP MLAs while JD-U has its own. Having bagged just 74 and 43 bagged the solitary MLAs from BSP and LJP

UPFRONT seats respectively, the alliance of the TAMIL NADU AIADMK BJP and the JD(U) had to depend on VIP and HAM(S) to reach the CHANGING figure of 122. However, within 20 AVATARS months, the VIP, LJP and BSP have disappeared from the assembly. The By Amarnath K. Menon JD(U) now has 45 MLAs, includ- ing Jama Khan, who shifted from A n intense fractious fight the job. As expected, the meeting soon the BSP, and Raj Kumar Singh, who has come to a head in the turned chaotic, with water bottles came from the LJP, while the BJP’s All India Anna Dravida being thrown at OPS as he stood firm tally went up to 77 with the VIP Munnetra Kazhagam against the one-leader system. As the MLAs. The two parties of the ruling (AIADMK), bringing an end to the majority jeered, OPS was forced to coalition have 122 MLAs, besides twin leadership in the party, till now walk out with his supporters. the support of an Independent. shared by Tamil Nadu’s last chief minister E. Palaniswami (EPS) and EPS, who consolidated his posi- The preference of Leader of his predecessor O. Panneerselvam tion when he was CM for four years, the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav (OPS). At the party general council now wants to be the all-powerful for AIMIM MLAs is not without meeting on June 23, an overwhelm- general secretary of the AIADMK. reasons. In 2020, the AIMIM con- ing majority endorsed the idea of a Nearly five years after amending the tested in 20 constituencies and won single leader, and they backed EPS for AIADMK constitution to introduce in five. Its success in the minority- the twin leadership concept—while dominated seats was seen as an indicator of the RJD’s diminished Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE support base among Muslims, J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 1 3 and a reason why the Tejashwi-led mahagathbandhan fell short of the majority mark. More crucial than RJD’s elevation to the position of single largest party in the assembly again is its ambition to regain the status of being the most preferred political party for Muslim voters in Bihar. After all, Muslims comprise 17 per cent of the population of the state. In fact, the Muslim-Yadav alli- ance has been the RJD’s winning formula for long. The June swi- tchover of AIMIM MLAs may also offset any damage to the RJD by the statement of Heena Shahab, wife of the late RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin, that she belonged to no party. Denied a Rajya Sabha nomination, Heena is said to be unhappy with the RJD. Meanwhile, though there are a few MLAs from small parties in the assembly—four from HAM(S), two each from the CPI(M) and the CPI, and one from AIMIM—nobody expects more switchovers soon as the ruling coalition has a simple majority and the RJD is once again the largest party. However, in the shifting sands of Bihar politics, no one can be too sure. „

UPFRONT anointing the late J. Jayalalithaa as did not deter her, though. Before leaving WESTERN GHATS ‘eternal general secretary’—he hopes to for jail, she made EPS the chief minister. AGHAST turn the AIADMK back to a single boss Initially, OPS and EPS were daggers By Jeemon Jacob party. Rule 20 of the party constitution drawn but realpolitik compelled them It’s one of the richest biodiversity hotspots on the planet, with vests the general secretary with sweep- to join hands and expel Sasikala from even new species being discov- ered by biologists practically ing powers, including nominating and the party. In an extraordinary power- every other year. But Kerala’s Ghat section is no pristine rainfor- dismissing office-bearers and initiating sharing arrangement, EPS, as chief est untouched by human hand. All along its north-south stretch, its disciplinary proceedings. Anyone chal- minister, made OPS his deputy in gov- edges have been progressively eaten up by rubber plantations, hotels and lenging his actions automatically loses ernance. The roles were reversed in the resorts and the sort of plain human habitation that Kerala is dense with. primary membership of the party. party with OPS becoming the AIADMK No wonder the June 3 Supreme Court ruling on a 1 km buffer zone But EPS’s attempts to take over coordinator and EPS joint coordinator. for India’s protected forests saw that part of Kerala erupt in public pro- as top boss suffered a setback when a All was well with this arrangement tests. Farmers’ organisations in many of the 14 districts are up in arms. So bench of the Madras High Court, in until the AIADMK lost the election in are the state’s political parties, as well as the influential Catholic church. an unprecedented pre-dawn sitting 2021. The façade of unity was over but A three-judge bench had origi- at the home of a judge, passed orders in December last, the two were elected nally pronounced the judgement on a petition seeking protection of forest at 4.30 am, hours before the general to their respective party posts with the lands in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, but then decided to extend it council meeting, restraining party lead- support of all primary members. to the rest of the country. The judge- ment referenced the guidelines on ers from taking any decision against EPS senses that the time is now buffer zones issued in 2011 by the ministry of environment, forest and the OPS challenge. Another council right to take control of the AIADMK. climate change (MoEF&CC). meeting has been fixed for July 11 now His priority now will be to take charge In Kerala, it’s only a minority— led by academics and green activ- to clear the way for EPS. On June 27, as gensec first and then, in one fell ists—that believes the SC’s stand is a positive outcome. They feel the as OPS was touring swoop, excise both Western Ghats, which fringes the state along its eastern flank, is in the southern dis- OPS and the spectre peril and that Kerala has failed to learn from the consecutive floods tricts where he enjoys The AIADMK twin of Sasikala from the since 2018. Erratic monsoons, great public support, engine era has AIADMK. Beyond ascribed to climate change, are 65 of the 74 council that, EPS has to bringing unpredictable, intense downpours. And soil piping, a phe- members gathered come to an end, rebuild the party and nomenon where subsoil erosion at the party office in with EPS soon to win back the princi- causes underground tunnels to be Chennai under presid- become the all- pal opposition space formed and then leads to subsid- ium chairman Tamil powerful general the AIADMK has ence, sees massive landslides every Magan Hussain to secretary. But OPS yielded to the BJP year in the hills. The environmental- decide on severing ties and its state presi- ists believe politicians have taken an opportunistic stand to appease with him. Stripping won’t go down dent K. Annamalai, their vote banks while the Church is him of the key post of without a fight who have been tar- out to protect its own and the flock’s AIADMK treasurer geting the DMK and other far-reach- government on its ing decisions will be performance. announced at the July A stumbling 11 meeting, says senior leader and ex- block for the AIADMK is the lack of minister D. Jayakumar, describing OPS an iconic leader like founding mem- as “a symbol of betrayal”. ber M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) or Since the passing of Jayalalithaa in Jayalalithaa, who the legions of adula- 2016, the AIADMK has struggled with tory activists can look up to. On avail- factionalism and feuding. She had made able evidence, EPS seems unequal to OPS the stand-in chief minister twice the task when compared to his charis- when she had to step down following matic predecessors but the manner in court convictions. In the days before which he has marginalised OPS and she died, he stepped in to take charge kept Sasikala out of the running is proof again. But Jayalalithaa’s close aide V.K. that he could be a long-term player. Of Sasikala, who took over the party after course, if they get together (their com- her death, had other plans. She sacked mon Mukkalothore Thevar community OPS when he rebelled against her. cohort is a strong binding force), the Sasikala’s hopes of becoming CM coronation of EPS as general secretary too came unstuck within months after may lead to a north-south divide of the her conviction in corruption cases. This AIADMK in Tamil Nadu. „ 1 4 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

AT THE GHATS The Left Front has since seen the folly of its ways. “The state government is pro- GETTY IMAGES FRAGILE HILLS actively safeguarding farmers’ interests while also protecting the ESZs. We will file considerable interests in the hills. View of the a modification plea in the Supreme Court,” Nothing made this more clear than Western Ghats says A.K. Saseendran, minister for forests and environment. State advocate-general K. Congress MP from Wayanad Rahul from Munnar Gopalakrishna Kurup suggests Kerala could Gandhi’s three-day visit (July 1-3), which approach the SC for the same 0-1 km relax- saw him join the protests. Wayanad, a IN THE WOODS ation on buffer zones as areas adjoining the Congress stronghold, has a robust farm- Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai ing community with plenty land adjoin- 11,521 and Guindy National Park in Chennai have, ing forested hills. A high concentration of since the state has 119 villages (all with 250- minorities means it’s also perhaps the only SQ. KM plus population density per sq. km) and seat in Kerala that can ensure Rahul’s entry Total forest area, even towns around forest areas. There’s also into the Lok Sabha in 2024. So Rahul may 29.7% of total geographi- Kerala’s shape: a sliver on the map, its girth speak a pro-conservation language else- is just 120 km or so at its widest. So, with the cal area of state sea on one side and the Ghats on the other, it If the SC-ordained is squashed “between the rules governing the 1 km bu er zone for Western CRZ (coastal regulation zone) and now the forest areas comes Ghats ESZ”, as a farmers’ union representative put into being, it will it. But Kerala also has 11,521 sq. km of for- a ect over 10% of the Kozhikode ests, including 24 wildlife sanctuaries, that villages in Kerala Malappuram fall under the category of ‘protected areas’. where, but here his party needs the backing Kochi “Migration, mining, tourism and large- of the Church, the Muslims and farmers. Palakkad scale misuse of ecological resources have had a catastrophic effect on the Ghats. But But then the CPI(M) raised the fact Munnar the stakeholders are economic and politi- that it was the Manmohan Singh govern- cal powerhouses. It’s the local quarry/ tour- ment’s 2011 directive for a 12 km buffer Thiruvananthapuram ism mafia that will be hit by the verdict. The zones in the Ghats that was the seed of the political parties and the Church are on their troubles. The Congress retorted that it was 119 side. They are drumming up support in the the Pinarayi Vijayan cabinet which had, in high ranges by putting out false information a fit of pique after the Left Front lost 19 of No. of villages affected about displacement of settlers/ farmers,” says the 20 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elec- by ESZ regulation, of the conservationist Dr Shaju Thomas. tion, informed the Centre that it was ame- nable to a 1 km ESZ around forest areas. total 958 in the state A study by the Kerala Forest Research Institute after the 2018 mega floods 250+ ascribed a lot of the subsequent landslides to unrestricted quarrying in the Population density ecologically fragile Ghats. Kavalappara in per sq. km in affected Malappuram district, where 59 people were buried alive in an August 2019 mudslide, villages had 33 stone quarries within a 10-km radius. “Satellite images from Kavalappara revealed Source: Kerala forest, the whole landscape had changed,” says sci- revenue depts entist V. Sajeev. Since 2018, Kerala has lost more than 650 lives to floods and landslides. After the SC verdict, states have been asked to submit a list of human habitations affected by the 1 km ruling within one year. The Kerala government has put local bodies and the revenue, forest and remote sensing department on the job. Pinarayi’s pet infra- structure projects such as the high-speed K-Rail and the 1,332-km Malayora Hill Highway (SH-59) will all likely be grounded if the ESZ ruling comes into effect. „

OBITUARY: PETER BROOK 1925-2022 The Illusionist of Journeys Brook gives us a magnificent theatre of contradictions: a renegade who was what he rebelled against By Trina Nileena Banerjee I n 1977, journalist and theatre critic John Heilp- of female power embodied in the character of Draupadi. ern wrote his magnum opus Conference of Birds: There are contradictions at every turn in a journey that The Story of Peter Brook in Africa, recounting the director’s 1972 journey through six countries, seeks to explore Brook. Here was a man who broke through the across 8,500 miles. Accompanying him were Helen parochialism of the British theatre in his time, feeling exasper- ated with its inward-looking, traditional ways. Heilpern quotes Mirren, Yoshi Oida and other members of his team him as saying: “…I don’t see much hope in any of this. I don’t from the International Centre for Theatre Research, Paris— believe it begins to grapple with the essential problem. How which Brook had founded in 1970, with a generous grant of to make the theatre absolutely and fundamentally necessary close to one million dollars from international funders. Even to people, as necessary as eating and sex?” The diluted, insipid in his years at the Royal Shakespeare Company in England, role theatre played at the time—merely an appendage or cultur- Brook had dreamt of a total subsidy for the theatre, which al decoration to contemporary social life—troubled him. Brook would break the constraints of commercial seemed to be looking for some essential British theatre of the time and allow space core of human life, the secret to which, he for radical experimentation, including the believed, the theatre held. Those were the possibility of complete financial failure. years when Brook began experimentations Impossible dreams of this nature, which he with his own craft, through spectacular and somehow managed to actualise, frequently unprecedented Shakespeare productions. In defined Brook’s magnificent career. 1970, just before his move to Paris, came his Heilpern describes the Africa journey, uniquely visualised A Midsummer Night’s which was also a journey towards conceiv- Dream, which stunned audiences and ing Farid ud-Din Attar’s 12th-c Persian Sufi angered traditional critics. With designer poem in performance, as an “expedition… Sally Jacobs, he created Shakespeare’s fairy without precedent in the history of theatre”. world in a stark white cube with the actors James Roose-Evans writes that it cost near- on trapeze bars performing circus tricks. ly $60,000. In an odd way, this journey, and GETTY IMAGES Biographers paint for us a restless yet the way it is admiringly recorded by theatre patient man, both impatient and resilient: historians, encapsulates much that is both someone dissatisfied not just with the world fascinating and difficult about the life of of theatre-makers and spectators around one of the master directors of the twentieth Between the orientalist and him, but also with himself and his work, century. Writing from India in 2022, at the experimentalist, Brook and on a dogged ‘spiritual’ quest of sorts, a moment when creative and intellectual offers no comfortable place for which theatre was simply a means. It spheres across the world are once again to rest to doubter or seeker seems that, for him, what was true in the shaken by the urgent call to decolonise, it is theatre was true far beyond it...true every- impossible to view Brook’s universalist, ‘in- where. It is this ‘universalist’ dimension tercultural’ ambitions without reservation. to his thought that commentators found Rustom Bharucha’s scathing 1988 critique of his Mahabh- vague and dissatisfying. Yet, it was this same man who wanted arata—which he saw as an offensive instance of “cultural ap- the immediacy of another kind of theatre. In 1966, he staged a propriation”—burns with a seething anger that cannot be dis- damning, brutally satirical experimental protest play, US, on missed offhand. Yet, it is also true that the play was not allowed American militarism in Vietnam and contemporary British to tour in India for absurd reasons, both parochial and bigoted, attitudes towards it, documented in the 1967 documentary while the film received limited screening. Mallika Sarabhai, Benefit of the Doubt. From that to his arguably romantic, al- who is candid about her difficult relationship as an actress with most certainly orientalist, search for sonic purity and universal Brook, recalls how there were racist protests over the fact that resonance amongst the songs of African tribes, it is difficult to Hindu gods were being played by African actors. Also, since find a comfortable place to rest in Brook’s majestic, contradic- B. R. Chopra’s Mahabharata was running on DD then, it was tory, and vast oeuvre. But perhaps that was his life-long idea: deemed that the play would confuse audiences! But Sarabhai the director in Brook’s ever-shifting ‘empty space’ was at once also affirms that Brook’s perspective on the epic was very much an impostor and a visionary, and like Puck in the ceiling-less that of the Anglo-Saxon male, who shrunk from the intensity expanse of his white-cube forest, impossible to pin down. I of its violence and found it impossible to understand the nature (The writer is a Kolkata-based theatre scholar and academic) 16 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

UPFRONT GLASSHOUSE UNCANNY COINCIDENCE AAP IN TOWN Hyderabad was agog W hat was Delhi chief minister Arvind as Union steel minister Kejriwal doing in Singrauli town in R.C.P. Singh, who was Madhya Pradesh on July 2? Election denied a Rajya Sabha nomi- in the state is still a year and some months nation by JD (U), was spotted away. Turns out he was holding a roadshow in the city on July 2—the same for AAP mayoral candidate Rani Agarwal in the day the BJP held its national executive in the city. Some upcoming civic polls. The Delhi CM’s presence BJP workers welcome RCP was enough for MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan at the as courtesy to an NDA to take a whirlwind tour of the town the next ally. RCP was there to review day. AAP has been trying to make inroads in MP a departmental meeting, but since the 2018 assembly election but has drawn that didn’t stop whispers of a blank. The civic polls are being treated as a his possible repatriation in semi-final for the 2023 assembly poll. The party the BJP. Till RS member and has a strong candidate in Agarwal—winning even former deputy CM Sushil one mayoral contest, out of the 16 in the state, Modi tweeted that RCP did will make AAP a serious contender next year. not attend their national executive. Phew. Hence the Singrauli sojourn. Illustration by SIDDHANT JUMDE Taste of Telangana DOTING DADDY Lauding Leaders Telangana A ndhra Pradesh chief minister Y.S. Jagan It is the season for BJP presi- Mohan Reddy took time out and a cha- celebrating milestones in dent Bandi rtered flight to Paris to attend elder daughter Karnataka. Congress leader Sanjay played Harsha’s graduation ceremony, along with Siddaramaiah’s supporters perfect host to wife Bharati. An LSE grad, Harsha has now plan to hold a month-long the partymen finished MBA from INSEAD with a place on the ‘Siddaramotsava’, in the run- gathered for the Dean’s list. Proud papa took to Twitter to say up to the former Karnataka BJP’s National what a wonderful journey it’s been to see her CM’s 75th birthday on August Executive grow. After six days in Paris, Reddy returned 12. Mallikarjuna Kharge’s meet in Hyderabad by feeding them to welcome Prime Minister Narendra Modi in supporters, meanwhile, authentic flavours of Telangana at the Bhimavaram on July 4, where he unveiled a want to commemorate his Novotel Hotel. He persuaded the five- statue of freedom-fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju. 50th year as a lawmaker star hotel to allow Gudatipalli chef while G. Parameshwara’s Golla Yadamma and her five-member followers want to release a team to whip up the cuisine. Guests got commemorative book on their to gorge on the sumptuous biryani, and leader. It has been enough for some lip-smacking mango daal, besides party chief D.K. Shivakumar snacks and desserts in the Telangana to call for ‘collective tradition. A repast to remember, surely. leadership’ ahead of the state election in 2023. —Rahul Noronha, Amitabh Srivastava, Amarnath K. Menon and Ajay Sukumaran

UNITED COLOURS OF BJP THE BJP JUGGERNAUT ROLLS ON, AIDED, ABETTED AND ENRICHED BY A SEA OF FACES WHO WERE TILL RECENTLY IN THE OPPOSITE CAMP By ANILESH S. MAHAJAN

COVER STORY BJP IN open, and a whole roster-call of political figures from diverse backgrounds initi- ated into the fold. These political migrants seemingly exercised the sole option open to them if they wished to survive and thrive: join the congregation. You could call it Rex Lex—might is right—or politi- cal Darwinism. But its effect is that Saf- fron is now internally a Rainbow. This phase—the United Colours of the BJP, so to speak—provides a window to look at the fascinating evolution of the world’s biggest political party. In the evolutionary history of life-forms, The other day, it was Rahul Narwekar in focus. there has always been a curious phenom- As the BJP sought to tighten the nuts and bolts on a enon: species that dominate the ecolo- frame it had hammered into shape just last week, it gy. Numerically, and in their capacity to installed the young legislator from Colaba as speaker impart changes on the ecosystem itself. of the Maharashtra assembly. It’s an especially cru- Ideology may seem a vastly different field cial post at this juncture because of the upcoming from biology—and it is indeed reduction- battle over the ownership of the Shiv Sena, including ist to draw a line from one to the other— in the assembly, where 16 rebel MLAs, now on the but something unfolding on the Indian ruling side, face a contentious disqualification move. landscape over the last decade begs the But the man entrusted with this onus used to be a comparison. If ideas exist in a space of firebrand spokesperson of Sharad Pawar’s Nation- contestation, locked in mutual combat, alist Congress Party (NCP)—and in that capacity, the spectacular growth of the Bharatiya a bitter critic of the BJP—till he switched camps in Janata Party (BJP) during the reign of October 2019, just before the assembly election. Of Prime Minister Narendra Modi shows course, like many other political migrants, he has A RECENT STUDYus a clear winner in that crowded arena.sipped water from many ghats, having been a Shiv Sainik before 2014. Born in February 1977, just as If seen as a singular organism—a meta- the curtains were coming down on Indira Gan- phor that the party’s tightly-knit structure dhi’s Emergency, Narwekar becomes the youngest invites—it looms over all other political life-forms. speaker in the country. But that misses a key nu- He’s of course among the lat- ance. The jaw-dropping est to step off the caravan trails SHOWED THAT growth of the BJP has a winding into the BJP’s massive critical feature built into it: the inclusion of others into THE BJP GAVE tent city—and be rewarded for it. The Singularity. Whether ASSEMBLY POLL As many as 16 members of Modi’s council of ministers have come TICKETS TO 833 from other parties. Of them, by conversion, cooption, TURNCOATS IN THE only tribal affairs minister Ar- appropriation or preda- LAST DECADE, AND jun Munda came on board long tion, citadels have been before Modi became a national breached, self-contained 44 PER CENT OF figure—from the Jharkhand political zones cracked THEM GOT ELECTED Mukti Morcha, in 1998. Kiren Facing page: (top row L-R) R.P.N. Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jay Panda, N. Biren Singh; (middle row) Sunil Jakhar, Narayan Rane, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Hardik Patel (bottom row) Jitin Prasada, Pema Khandu, Manik Saha, Rahul Narwekar Photo montage by NILANJAN DAS

COVER STORY BJP ANI THE BIG WAVE PM Narendra Modi with senior BJP leaders at the Vijay Sankalp Sabha rally, Hyderabad, July 3 IT WAS AS IF THE BJP HAD OPENED IMMIGRATION COUNTERS ACROSS THE POLITICAL MAP AS THE ENTRANTS INCLUDED LEADERS OF EVERY HUE, FROM THE CONGRESS TO NC, TMC AND THE BJD Rijiju and Sarbanand Sonowal came in when the seas in Manipur and Manik Saha drove over from the Con- were parting for Modi as he made his strides to Lu- gress too, in 2016-17, with practically their state units tyens’ Delhi—in 2012, from the Congress and AGP and governments in the boot. Karnataka’s Basavaraj respectively. The other 13 came in the run-up to 2014 Bommai had come in from another direction, having or even much after. MSME minister Narayan Rane managed to convert from the socialism of the Janata Dal merged his Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha with the brand to saffron back in 2008. Lower down the pecking BJP in October 2019. The prize trophy was of course order, the list of politicians of even some repute who have Jyotiraditya Scindia, who pressed the eject button come into the BJP is so huge that we had trouble fitting right from the inner circle of Congress scion Rahul it into our graphics (see boxes, split into five regions). Gandhi in March 2020 and landed in the cockpit as Union civil aviation minister, inheriting the portfolio Immigration counters were virtually open all his father Madhavrao Scindia had held under Nara- across the map, and the entrants include everyone from simha Rao in the 1990s. On July 6, he was also handed former National Conference No. 2 Davinder Rana the steel ministry. in Jammu and Kashmir to former Puducherry PCC chief A. Namassivayam, Mamata Banerjee’s one-time P roceed outwards from the Centre, along vari- lieutenant Suvendu Adhikary in Bengal to Gujarat’s ous radials, and look to the states. There are stormy petrel Hardik Patel, from second-generation BJP chief ministers who have a long and clear Congressman and ex-Punjab PCC chief Sunil Jakhar non-BJP past. Most prominently Assam’s Hi- to BJD veteran Jay Panda in Odisha to minor Congress manta Biswa Sarma, who jumped ship from royalty like R.P.N. Singh and Jitin Prasada. Typically, the Congress in 2015 and pretty much opened up the the latter finds a place in Yogi Adityanath’s present Northeast for the saffron party, becoming a nodal figure council of ministers, making the same ideological in its expansion in the region. In his wake, the trio of somersault as the voluble ex-Congress spokesperson Pema Khandu in Arunachal Pradesh, N. Biren Singh Rita Bahuguna Joshi did in 2016 to land a place in the Yogi 1.0 council. Below them come the legislators. 20 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

STRENGTH SEPT. MAR. IN NUMBERS 2013 2018 HOW THE BJP PLOTTED ITS MASSIVE EXPANSION IN THE PAST DECADE USING EVERY TACTIC AND METHOD GUJARAT JULY UTTARAKHAND ARUNACHAL 2022 Mar. 2016 9 Congress PRADESH 2017- Defections MLAs rebel against then and defeats in bypolls Uttarakhand CM Harish Dec. 2016 Pema reduce Congress tally Rawat. Briefly, President’s Khandu walks out to 64 seats from 77 won rule is imposed. Rawat of People’s Party of in 2017 polls; helps BJP challenges it in court, saves Arunachal with 33 MLAs win extra seat in 2020 his government. BJP later (out of 43) to join BJP. At RS polls wins back-to-back assembly the time, BJP had just 11 polls with landslides MLAs in house of 60. In MAHARASHTRA 2019 poll, Khandu helps KARNATAKA BJP win with 41 seats Jun. 2022 40 Shiv Jul. 2019 15 MLAs from Sena MLAs along Congress and JD (S) rebel MANIPUR with 10 others rebel against H.D. Kumaraswamy against Uddhav government, leading to his Aug. 2020 8 Thackeray govt. BJP ouster. Later they join the BJP; Congress MLAs resign returns to power with B.S. Yediyurappa becomes CM to save BJP’s N. Biren Eknath Shinde-led for the fourth time Singh government. Sena faction Most of them later join the BJP. In March GOA 2022, Singh leads BJP to assembly poll win, Jul. 2019 10 out of 15 gets 32 seats in 60- Congress legislators member hall join BJP. Two had joined earlier, as had 2 MGP MADHYA PRADESH legislators. Numbers allow BJP to cross Mar. 2020 28 majority mark of 20 in Congress MLAs led by the assembly. In March Jyotiraditya Scindia 2022 poll, BJP fell short resign, join the BJP. of a full majority on its Kamal Nath government own by one seat falls, Shivraj Chouhan back as CM 1,387 17 16 5 the number states are members of chief of BJP MLAs now ruled Modi’s council ministers in out of a total BJP-ruled of 4,120 MLAs by BJP of ministers states are in assemblies along with have come converts from across India from other other parties its allies parties Graphics by TANMOY CHAKRABORTY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 21

NORTHERN CONSOLIDATION JAMMU & KASHMIR SURJIT SINGH HIMACHAL PRADESH HARYANA SLATHIA HOSHIYAR SINGH DAVINDER RANA From: National From: Independent to BJP VINOD BHAYANA From: National Conference Conference to BJP in in June 2022 From: Congress to BJP in (NC) to BJP in October 2021 October 2021 USP: Defeated BJP’s December 2018 USP: Was practically No. 2 USP: Former minister Ravinder Ravi in 2017 polls USP: A former Bhupinder in the NC and ran the party in the Omar Abdullah Hooda loyalist, has influence in Hindu-dominated Jammu. government PRAKASH RANA in Hissar district Is the brother of Union From: Independent to BJP minister Jitendra Singh SURINDER in June 2022 ARVIND SHARMA CHAUDHARY USP: Defeated BJP’s Gulab From: Congress to BJP in From: PDP to BJP Siingh in the 2017 polls March 2019 April 2022 USP: An erstwhile USP: Former MLC, ANIL SHARMA Bhupinder Hooda loyalist was a Hindu face in the From: Congress to BJP in and a three-time MP. Has Mehbooba Mufti-led October 2017 influence among Brahmins PDP in the Jammu USP: Is influential in Mandi and is BJP’s MP from Rohtak region region and among Brahmins RAO INDERJIT SINGH PUNJAB USP: A former minister, ANOOP KESARI From: Congress to BJP in he is influential in Bathinda From: AAP to BJP in April December 2014 SUNIL JAKHAR district 2022 USP: Scion of royalty of From: Congress to BJP in USP: Was AAP’s state unit erstwhile fief Rewari and May 2022 SUNDER chief former Congress MP from USP: Formerly Punjab SHYAM ARORA Gurugram. Has won twice on PCC chief, has sizeable From: Congress to BJP in BJP tickets and is an MoS in influence in the Hindu Jat June 2022 the Modi government community in Punjab, USP: Was a minister Haryana and Rajasthan. He in the Capt. Amarinder CH BIRENDRA SINGH opened doors for several Singh government and is From: Congress to BJP in other Congressmen in influential in Hoshiarpur March 2014 Punjab to consider the district USP: Inheritor of Sir Chottu BJP as an option Ram’s legacy and strong RAJ KUMAR VERKA Congressman. Quit the party RANA GURMIT From: Congress to BJP in because of his rivalry with SINGH SODHI June 2022 his cousin Bhupinder Singh From: Congress to BJP in USP: Was a minister Hooda November 2021 in the Charanjit Channi USP: Was a minister government and has in the Capt. Amarinder influence among Valmiki/ Singh government and is Mazhabi Sikh community influential in Ferozepur district BALBIR SIDHU Sunil From: Congress to BJP in Jakhar June 2022 USP: Former health minister, has considerable influence in Mohali district GURPREET Jitin Vinod KHANGAR Prasada Bhayana From: Congress to BJP in June 2022 2 2 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

UTTAR PRADESH USP: A former Congress COVER STORY BJP MP, he was in the core BRAJESH PATHAK group of Rahul Gandhi. He is A tabulation by the Trivedi Centre for Political Data at From: BSP to BJP in now PWD minister in Uttar Ashoka University shows the BJP gave assembly poll September 2016 Pradesh tickets to 833 turncoats in the last decade, and 44 per cent USP: A former BSP MP, of them got elected. This story is, thus, a key component of he played a critical role in NAND GOPAL GUPTA how the BJP has ended up with 1,387 out of a total 4,120 forging Dalit-Brahmin unity From: Congress to BJP in legislators in assemblies across India. It’s also translated for Mayawati. Is deputy January 2017 into the BJP and its allies ruling in 17 states, covering over CM in UP and is the BJP’s USP: A former BSP half the country’s population. predominant Brahmin face legislator and confidant of Mayawati. Contested The frequent floor crossing by legislators is not a ran- SATYAPAL the Lok Sabha polls dom process. There’s a specific pattern and direction. A SINGH BAGHEL from Allahabad as a key index of how India’s politics is loaded these days lies in From: BSP to BJP in 2017 Congressman. Now minister the fact that, while some 462 also moved out of the saffron USP: Was a BSP Rajya for industries in UP fold, only 14 per cent of those won thereafter. The Trivedi Sabha MP since 2014. Centre’s data shows that, after the BJP, the Congress at- Was formerly close to NARENDRA BHATTI tracted most defectors—517—but only 20 per cent won Mulayam Singh but a soured From: SP to BJP in thereafter. Similarly, the BSP received 196 defectors, but relationship with Akhilesh November 2021 with a less than 4 per cent conversion rate to victors, and Yadav led to his exiting the USP: Formerly Mulayam the Samajwadi Party followed with 167 and 22 per cent. party. He is now a minister Singh’s pointsman in Leaving out the variations, the rough equation goes like in the Modi government western Uttar Pradesh and this: the BJP grew, the Congress bled. The Grand Old a dominant Gurjar leader, he Party haemorrhaged the most, with one-third of its de- RITA BAHUGUNA JOSHI is now a BJP MLC fectors winning on other party symbols. It needs no data From: Congress to BJP in scientist to conclude that it was most likely the lotus. The 2016 CHAUDHARY LAXMI story remains mostly the same for other parties. But there’s USP: A former state PCC NARAYAN one outlier, in the shape of the Trinamool Congress. The chief, she switched to the From: BSP to BJP in 2015 doughty Mamata has done a BJP on the BJP, having al- BJP before the 2017 polls. USP: An influential Jat ready poached former Union minister Babul Supriyo and She is now the party’s leader and six-time MLA, he saffron renegade Shatrughan Sinha, who even went on to MP from Allahabad. Her has been associated with win the Asansol Lok Sabha seat. The TMC has wrested a brother and former CM of the Lok Dal, the Janata Dal, total of seven faces from the BJP, including the prize catch Uttarakhand Vijay Bahuguna the Congress and the BSP of Mukul Roy. But broadly, the patterns hold: the lotus is also joined the BJP. Her far and away the dominant species in the pond. nephew Saurabh Bahuguna KAUSHAL KISHORE is minister in the Pushkar From: Rashtravadi A LOTUS-SHAPED PLAN Singh Dhami government Communist Party to the BJP in 2014 If all of the above conjures up the picture of a raven- JITIN PRASADA USP: Formerly an MoS in ous, omnivorous predator indiscriminately trawling the From: Congress to BJP in the SP. Has a deep network ocean-bed scooping up prey, nothing could be further June 2021 and is widely accepted from the truth. “A very conscious and cautious effort goes among Dalits in eastern UP into the process of inducting someone into the party,” BJP president J.P. Nadda tells INDIA TODAY. “We make UTTARAKHAND A KEY INDEX OF HOW INDIA’S SATPAL MAHARAJ, POLITICS IS LOADED THESE VIJAY BAHUGUNA, DAYS—WHILE SOME 462 SUBODH UNIYAL, ALSO MOVED OUT OF THE SARITA ARYA, KISHOR SAFFRON FOLD, ONLY 14% UPADHYAY From: Congress to BJP WON THEREAFTER DELHI MANOJ TIWARI From: SP to BJP Satpal RAJASTHAN Maharaj GHANSHYAM TIWARI From: Congress to BJP Union Ministers J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 2 3

COVER STORY BJP WINNING OVER THE WEST GUJARAT GOA MAHARASHTRA HARDIK PATEL VISHWAJIT RANE NARAYAN RANE From: Congress to BJP in From: Congress to BJP in March From: Maharashtra Swabhiman June 2022 2017 Paksha to BJP in October 2020 USP: Influential Patidar leader and USP: Son of former Goa CM and USP: Has considerable influence former working president of PCC Congress veteran Pratapsingh in the Konkan region and is minister Rane, he resigned from the for MSME in PM Modi’s govern- ASHVIN KOTWAL Congress after the 2017 Goa polls ment. A former CM of the state, From: Congress to BJP in May to join the BJP. Has been a minister Rane was earlier with the Shiv 2022 in the BJP government since. After Sena and then with the Congress USP: An influential tribal leader the 2022 polls, his wife Deviya Rane with considerable influence among became a legislator as well RADHAKRISHNA Adivasis in Sabarkantha district VIKHE-PATIL ATANASIO MONSERRATE From: Congress to BJP in JAWAHAR CHAVDA From: Congress to BJP in 2019 September 2019 From: Congress to BJP in March USP: Engineered a revolt in the USP: A five-time Congress MLA, 2019 Congress along with nine other he was leader of USP: Won as Congressman in legislators, joined BJP along with the opposition 2017, quit to join BJP in 2019 and wife Jennifer. She was made during Devendra was immediately made tourism revenue minister. Atanasio is now a Fadnavis’ tenure. minister in Vijay Rupani cabinet minister for revenue in the Pramod His father Bala- Sawant cabinet saheb Vikhe Patil RAGHAVJI PATEL was an eight-term From: Congress to BJP in SUBHASH SHIRODKAR Congress MP. September 2019 From: Congress to BJP in October USP: A four-term Congress MLA, 2018 Hardik he is an influential Patidar leader USP: A powerful Bhandari comm- Patel from Kutch. He is now the state unity member, he is cooperatives minister for agriculture minister in Pramod Sawant’s cabinet BRIJESH MERJA From: Congress to BJP in June 2019 USP: Influential in the Morbi area, he is now minister of state for labour and employment a conscious effort to look at the section of people who not an empty slogan. He says, “This is our mantra and have not been adequately represented in the party. we are following it in letter and spirit.” It is based on who can deliver results and make the BJP stronger ideologically. We are also cautious that Even in his broad-brush description, it’s clear that those we select fit into the basic framework of the BJP the saffron strategists are alive to the complexities of thought process and look at whether they can be main- how a behemoth-like BJP must look at new recruits. streamed and assimilated into the party. There is due They are, in short, working to a precise plan—or rather, diligence done. It’s our standard operating procedure.” a menu of tactical manoeuvres, from which they take Nadda calls it part of the BJP’s continuous process of out what’s logically most suitable to a given situation. expansion and is clear that the party’s promise of sabka Underlying the whole movement is a clear strategy of saath, sabka vikas, sabka viswas and sabka prayas is expansion. What’s to be borne in mind is that this ex- pansion is not just something happening on the vertical 2 4 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

BHARATI RAHUL USP: A descen- CENTRAL PAWAR NARWEKAR dent of Chhatrapati From: NCP to BJP in From: NCP to BJP in Shivaji, Bhosale was MADHYA of the BSP. Has March 2019 September 2019 a two-term NCP MP. PRADESH presence in the USP: A senior USP: Comes from Before that, he was Bhind region. His leader of the NCP, an influential political a two-term MLA on JYOTIRADITYA father, Dr Ramlakhan she switched over family. He unsuccess- the BJP’s ticket. Cur- SCINDIA Kushwaha, was a to the BJP before fully contested the rently, he is a Rajya From: Congress to four-term BJP MP for 2019 polls. Has since 2014 Lok Sabha elec- Sabha MP BJP in 2020 Bhind been made a Union tion on an NCP ticket USP: A scion of the minister from Maval. He was KAPIL Scindias of Gwalior, RAJESH SHUKLA the party’s face in MORESHWAR he was one of Rahul From: SP to BJP in the media. Currently PATIL Gandhi’s most trusted June 2022 speaker of the state From: NCP to BJP in lieutenants. He broke USP: A former assembly February 2014 away with 22 MLAs, Congressman, USP: BJP’s face resulting in the fall Shukla’s family has UDAYANRAJE in Thane, he repre- of the Kamal Nath sizeable influence BHOSALE sents communally government in 2020. in the state’s From: NCP to BJP in sensitive Bhiwandi. He is currently Union Bundelkhand area. September 2019 He is currently Union minister for civil He had switched minister of state for aviation and steel over to the SP after Panchayati Raj the Congress denied KP YADAV him a ticket; is now a Jyotiraditya From: Congress to member of the BJP Scindia BJP in April 2018 USP: Joined the BJP GOVIND SINGH in 2018 to contest the RAJPUT Assembly election From: Congress to from Mungaoli. Lost BJP the election, but USP: One of the won the Lok Sabha 22 Congress MLAs poll in 2019 in Guna, who switched over defeating Scindia to the BJP in March 2020 and led to the SANJEEV fall of the Kamal Nath KUSHWAHA government. He is From: BSP to BJP in now state transport June 2022 minister. USP: A lone ranger Narayan Rane Union Ministers THERE’S ONE OUTLIER HERE, IN plane, at the upper echelons of the party—this is no THE SHAPE OF THE TRINAMOOL. museum where sundry scalps and trophies are hung up on the wall. The incoming leader is given due respect, THE DOUGHTY MAMATA HAS prominence and formal investitures into positions of DONE A BJP ON THE BJP, power precisely because he or she is not a solo immi- HAVING ALREADY POACHED grant. A leader who switches sides is also directly related to a horizontal reality; each new entrant heralds a geo- SOME SEVEN WINNING FACES graphical expansion into newer territories. He or she FROM THE SAFFRON PARTY also often brings a band of loyal MLAs and a dedicated cadre base, with roots in specific zones. It’s a whole piece of the Indian political soil that goes over to the BJP. J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 2 5

COVER STORY BJP NEWBIES FROM THE EAST ODISHA PRATYUSHA WEST BENGAL and the Jharkhand Mukti RAJESHWARI SINGH Morcha (JMM) BAIJAYANT JAY PANDA From: BJD to BJP in March 2019 SUVENDU From: BJD to BJP in March 2019 USP: Former BJD MP is now the ADHIKARY LOCKET USP: From trusted lieutenant saffron party’s state From: TMC to BJP in CHATTERJEE of Naveen Patnaik to bête noire, vice-president December 2020 From: TMC to BJP in Panda is now part of BJP’s USP: The former No. 2015 national team SANJEEB KUMAR SAHOO 2 to chief minister USP: Former film From: BJD to BJP in November Mamata Banerjee, he star and TMC’s star 2021 defeated her in the campaigner, she is now USP: Four-time MLA is a conf- assembly polls. He is BJP MP from Hooghly. idant of CM’s friend-turned-foe leader of the party’s BJP made her co- Pyari Mohan Mohapatra legislative unit incharge of assembly polls in Uttarakhand BALABHADRA MAJHI ANJALI BEHERA NISITH From: BJD to BJP in 2019 From: BJD to BJP in October PRAMANIK SAUMITRA KHAN USP: Was sitting MLA from 2021 From: TMC to BJP From: TMC to BJP in Nabrangpur when he was USP: Two-time MLA left BJD USP: A formidable 2019 denied ticket in 2019. Could not in 2014. Will possibly be a BJP leader in the Cooch USP: Was among the win as BJP candidate candidate from Dhenkanal area Behar region of the first big names to switch in 2024 state. He switched over to BJP and continues from the TMC’s youth to stick with the party. wing to become Union He is the Lok Sabha MP MoS for home affairs, from Bishnupur sports and youth affairs BIHAR JHARKHAND JOHN BARLA From: TMC to BJP in MISRI LAL YADAV ARJUN MUNDA 2019 From: VIP to BJP in March From: JMM to BJP in 1998 USP: Won the 2019 2022 USP: Tribal face in ’90s gave LS elections from USP: He along with other BJP an opening in erstwhile Alipurduar, north VIP MLAs Raju Singh and Bihar (now Jharkhand) Bengal. Currently he’s Swarna Singh joined the BJP, Union MoS of minority making the party, although BABULAL MARANDI affairs. Spent his briefly, the single largest From: Jharkhand Vikas early years in the tea party in Bihar for the first Party to BJP in February gardens, has worked time ever 2020 with the Gorkha USP: The state’s first CM Janmukti Morcha (GJM) RAM KIRPAL YADAV merged his party with the From: RJD to BJP in March BJP and became chief Suvendu 2014 of state legislative unit. Adhikary USP: Was practically No. Returned to the saffron fold 2 in RJD, a close confidant after 14 years outside and is of Lalu Prasad Yadav. Was now BJP’s tribal face again minister in Modi 1.0. and continues to be MP from ANNAPURNA DEVI Pataliputra From: RJD to BJP in March 2019 NUTAN SINGH USP: Former state RJD From: LJP to BJP in March chief is now MP from 2021 Koderma and the Union MoS, USP: She was the lone ministry of education MLC from LJP. Party has no presence now in the Bihar Legislative Council DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY 2 6 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

NORTH-EAST EACH NEW ENTRANT HERALDS A GEOGRAPHICAL EXPANSION ASSAM MANIPUR INTO NEWER TERRITORIES... HIMANTA BISWA N. BIREN SINGH IT’S A WHOLE PIECE OF THE SARMA From: Congress to BJP INDIAN POLITICAL SOIL THAT From: Congress to BJP in 2016 in 2015 USP: A trusted lieute- GOES OVER TO THE BJP USP: Chief architect of nant of former Congress the BJP’s expansion in the CM Okram Ibobi Singh, Opposition parties ascribe a Machiavellian edge to Northeast. A leader of the his departure opened the what they call Operation Lotus. They allege that the masses, he has mastered floodgates. Over two- BJP relies less on ideological persuasion and more on the art of backroom thirds of the top Congress its seemingly inexhaustible resources—plainly visible management leadership followed him in the resort politics it indulges in these days with as much aplomb as any non-ideological party, and all SARBANANDA ARUNACHAL those chartered flights—and on midnight knocks by SONOWAL PRADESH sleuths from central investigation agencies like the From: AGP to BJP in 2011 CBI and Enforcement Directorate. The BJP, on its USP: Ex-AASU leader PEMA KHANDU part, does not seem to shy away from deploying the is a symbol of Assamese From: Congress to BJP classical quartet of Chanakyan techniques—saam, regionalism. Clean image in 2016 daam, dand, bhed (persuasion, reward, punishment, helped the BJP gain USP: Almost the entire division)—to effect splits and defections but rightly ground initially, particul- state Congress leadership says it can’t be blamed if other parties cannot keep arly in Upper Assam joined the BJP along with their flock together. As a senior BJP leader says, refer- Khandu. Son of ex-CM ring to the defectors, “The horse must want to drink Dorjee Khandu, he has water before it comes to us, we cannot force it to do been central to BJP’s so.” There may be resentment among old-timers in expansion in Arunchal the party at the newbies taking the spoils of office, but he says, “We counsel them saying that if the BJP has TRIPURA KIREN RIJIJU to grow, we must all have a big heart. It is for a larger From: Congress to BJP cause, we are not holding on to chairs for individuals.” MANIK SAHA in 2012 Power is its own logic and its own adhesive, of course, From: Congress to BJP USP: Left BJP and joined and confers on the BJP a natural advantage. But the in 2016 Congress in 2009. Son of plan it is playing to entails keeping a keen eye on India’s USP: The dental an ex-Congressman, Rijiju political chessboard and moving into both the large surgeon is known for is now the most prominent gaps and the small crevasses. his organisational skills. tribal leader from the N-E Was made president of O ne of the tactics it employs can be called the the state unit within four SIKKIM Earthmover—when a whole tectonic plate de- years of joining the BJP taches itself from the geological shelf it was DORJEE TSHERING yoked to and links up with the saffron conti- LEPCHA nent. If not exactly the whole legislature party, From: SDF to BJP in 2019 a significant enough chunk breaks off for the BJP to USP: Lepcha and 9 be able to make a conquest. That’s what happened in other MLAs from Sikkim Arunachal in January 2017 when Khandu joined the Democratic Front (SDF) BJP with 33 MLAs in a 60-member House. And in jumped ship, overnight Sikkim in August 2019, where the exodus of 10 out making the BJP the largest of his 15 MLAs eventually reduced the SDF of Pawan Opposition party Chamling, the longest-serving CM of India, to a leg- islature party boasting a strength of one (himself). Chief Minister Union minister Variations of this theme played out in Karnataka, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra…. But it often needs at least a small crack to start with. Look no further than the Scindia episode. Jy- otiraditya was unhappy with the Gandhi siblings for J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 2 7

THE SOUTHERN EXPANSION KARNATAKA DR UMESH JADHAV TELANGANA government. He had earlier From: Congress to BJP in been an MP from the same BASAVARAJ 2019 D.K. ARUNA constituency BOMMAI USP: Is former Congress From: Congress to BJP From: JD (S) to BJP in 2008 MLA from Chincholi and in 2019 EATALA USP: Son of former Janata at present BJP’s MP from USP: Now BJP’s national RAJENDER stalwart S.R. Bommai, he Gulbarga. Mallikarjuna vice president, she is From: TRS to BJP in June carried his father’s legacy Kharge lost to him co-in-charge of the party’s 2021 and, as CM, represents affairs in Karnataka. She is USP: Former Finance the powerful Lingayat SHOBHA from an influential Reddy Minister in TRS community. KARANDLAJE family of Mahbubnagar, government, he joined the From: KJP to BJP in 2014 and lost the Lok Sabha BJP. He won the Huzarabad BASAVARAJ HORATTI USP: Left BJP in 2012 poll from there to Manne assembly byelection by a From: Janata Dal (Secular) with B.S. Yediyurappa. Srinivas Reddy of the TRS wide margin to BJP in 2022 Currently minister of state USP: Was chairman, for agriculture M. RAGHUNANDAN B. BHIKSHAMAIAH Karnataka Legislative RAO GOUD Council, eight times MLC. Is RAMESH JARKIHOLI From: TRS to BJP in 2014 From: TRS to BJP in 2022 now BJP’s MLC From: Congress to BJP in USP: Was TRS politburo USP: Former Congress 2019 member and Medak MLA, had joined BJP after PRAMOD MADHWARAJ USP: Eldest sibling from district convenor. He spending three years in From: Congress to BJP in powerful Jarkiholi family of is now BJP’s MLA from TRS 2022 Belgaum, MLA of Gokak Dubbaka and secretary in USP: Was state PCC Vice the state unit K. VISHWESHWAR President and now working RAJEEV REDDY to expand BJP CHANDRASEKHAR G. VIVEKANAND From: Congress to BJP From: Independent to BJP From: TRS to BJP in 2019 in 2022 in 2018 USP: Former MP USP: Elected MP on a USP: Former telecom from Peddapalli and pioneer brings his vast was adviser TRS ticket in 2014, he media holdings to the BJP’s to the TRS lost on a Congress advantage ticket in 2019 K. SUDHAKAR S.T. SOMASHEKAR D. Purandeswari From: Congress to BJP in From: Congress to 2019 BJP in 2019 USP: He was MLA, USP: Former Chikkaballapur and is now Congress MLA, is Minister for Health & Family now Minister of Co- Welfare, Medical Education operative. Among first Department. And is most of 16 MLAs to resign trusted minister of the chief in 2019 to topple the minister JD(S)- Congress coalition KERALA D.K. Aruna A.P. ABDULLAHKUTTY From: Congress to BJP in June Khushbu 2019 Sundar USP: A Muslim face of BJP in Kerala, Abdullahkutty –is two times CPI (M) parliamentarian before he joined Congress. He is now chairperson, central Hajj panel 2 8 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

COVER STORY BJP ANDHRA PRADESH C.M. RAMESH not standing up for him when the duo of Kamal Nath D. PURANDESWARI From: TDP to BJP in 2019 and Digvijay Singh, then chief minister and former CM, USP: He is among the From: Congress to BJP in four of six Rajya Sabha were gradually marginalising him in state politics, and 2014 members who joined the USP: Second daughter BJP soon after the rout he was denied a Rajya Sabha ticket. The BJP lost no time of TDP founder N.T. Rama of the TDP in the 2019 Lok Rao, she quit the Congress Sabha and Andhra Pradesh following the decision to assembly polls. His tenure reorganise Andhra Pradesh ends in April 2024 in 2014. She fought and lost the Lok Sabha polls in dangling the alluring prospect of “appropriate honour, on the party ticket for the Rajampet seat in 2014 and affection and apt position in decision-making”, with an Visakhapatnam in 2019. Now she is among the 10 entry into the Upper House coming free with the offer. general secretaries—the lone woman—and steers the More to the point, when he walked out, he took with BJP Mahila Morcha him 22 sitting Congress MLAs. The BJP leveraged that momentum to pull in six more to render the Nath govern- ment hors de combat. A grand strike like this, ambitious in scope and ex- Y.S. CHOWDARY T.G. VENKATESH ecution, needs to be sure-footed and viable. Replacing From: TDP to BJP in 2019 From: TDP to BJP in 2019 a stable government with an unstable one will not do. USP: Following the rout USP: He is among the of the TDP in the 2019 Lok four of six Rajya Sabha Hence, the fact that the BJP won 19 of the seats vacated by Sabha and Andhra Pradesh members who joined the assembly polls, four (all BJP soon after the rout Jyotiraditya’s renegade MLAs in subsequent bypolls is not industrialists) of its six of the TDP in the 2019 Lok Rajya Sabha members led Sabha and Andhra Pradesh a mere footnote; ensuring that win is integral to the plot. by Chowdary, a former assembly polls Union Minister, joined the It cemented Shivraj BJP. His tenure has ended Singh Chouhan’s grip OLD-TIMERS on the throne. But RESENTING everywhere, success THE FACT THAT crafted through these NEWBIES ARE means also creates its own headaches, let- TAMIL NADU (MLA, Thousand Lights GETTING PRIME ting loose an all-new constituency) had joined POSTS ARE conflictual element on NAINAR NAGENDRAN BJP and contested on PACIFIED BY BJP the picture-frame. In From: AIADMK to BJP in party’s ticket but lost polls. the last two decades 2017 Is active in state unit USP: One of the four LEADERS SAYING of his dominance MLAs of BJP, Nagendran is PUDUCHERRY a former AIADMK minister. IT IS ALL BEING in Madhya Pradesh He is now vice-president A. NAMASSIVAYAM DONE FOR A politics, Chouhan has of the Tamil Nadu BJP and From: Congress to BJP in never had to struggle is leader of the legislature January 2021 party USP: Former state LARGER CAUSE like this to cope with PCC chief and was KHUSHBU SUNDAR minister in Narayanasamy surplus. Indeed, for From: Congress to BJP government. He was first to USP: Actor turned join BJP and led the exodus the first 40 days of his politician was face of of other legislators. Today Congress in Tamil Nadu and he is home minister of the rule, he had no ministers—and it took him almost four national media. She now state actively articulates BJP’s months to form his full cabinet. Even when he got him- point of view self one, it wasn’t one of his choice—put it down to the exigency of having to accommodate the rebels who made his return to power possible. That’s when he made his famously cryptic remark, “Jab manthan hota hai, amrit nikalta hai, par vish Shiv ko grahan karna hota hai” (When there is a churn, nectar is produced, but the by- P. SARAVANAN product is poison, and Lord Shiva has to consume that).” From: DMK to BJP in Before him, B.S. Yediyurappa had to consume the March 2021 USP: Was sitting same “poison” in Karnataka. In July 2019, 13 legislators MLA of DMK from Tirupparankundram, he from the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress succumbed to along with Ku Ka Selvam the saffron temptation and shifted loyalties. The H.D. Ku- maraswamy government, running with the support of the Congress, started tottering. After three weeks of political drama, filled with the usual noise of media headlines and legal battles, the regime fell and BSY returned to the top Chief Minister Union minister J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 2 9

COVER STORY BJP job for the fourth time. But it took him almost a month to get a cabinet going, and five more months to grant berths to 10 turncoats. The heartburn among party old- timers at the sight of new converts taking away all the fish and loaves was more than evident. Yediyurappa had himself briefly rebelled, forming his own party between 2012-14, and his loyalists formed another factional layer in the state BJP, which the party tolerated owing to his mass popularity. But not for long. BSY was eased out in July 2021. And that risky manoeuvre involved deploying the next arrow in the BJP’s quiver: the caste and community calculus, another perennial reality of Indian politics. THE SOCIAL RAINBOW One part of the BJP’s expansionism is purely geographi- cal. Witness the carefully woven fabric of names it nom- inated to the Rajya Sabha on July 6: sprint legend P.T. Usha is from Kerala; music savant Ilaiyaraja from Tamil Nadu; V. Vi- jayendra Prasad, the screenwriter of blockbusters like Baahubali and “THE DECISION TO lieu of the greater disaster of col- RRR, is Telugu; philanthropist INDUCT SOMEONE IS lective community anger. This is Veerendra Heggade from Karna- TAKEN CONSCIOUSLY at the root of the trouble Bommai taka. The South still looms as un- finds himself in, with other Lingayat leaders like Nirani Murugesh, Ar- conquered territory for the saffron AND CAUTIOUSLY... vind Bellad and Jagadish Shettar coveting his job and national general party, and symbolism helps. But EVALUATING THEIR secretary B.L. Santhosh playing a caste and community present to SOCIAL STANDING, parallel power centre. The old/ new the BJP a complex kaleidoscope THEIR FOLLOWING, dichotomy played out even in Tri- that it needs to negotiate with some pura, where the change of guard in May saw heated exchanges between care and caution. Its calculation is WHAT THEY CAN DO legislators and RSS old-timer Ram simple. Hyper-Hindutva has en- FOR THE PARTY” Prasad Paul—a rare show of dissent. sured that the 14 per cent Muslim But over and above its old iron-clad discipline, Nadda also points to the vote is largely alienated from it, —J.P. Nadda, BJP president open channels that help mitigate any potential for conflict. “Regu- hence it has to ensure that the 79.8 lar communication happens with the new entrants,” says the BJP per cent Hindu vote is not further president. “They are not treated as outsiders and are made part of the fragmented into caste and subcaste organisation’s working without any discrimination. Gradually, they get loyalties. accustomed to our culture. We en- sure that they are assimilated and When it showed the door to are always open and accessible for talks and discussions.” BSY, the BJP knew he was an icon Uttar Pradesh provides a classic among the Lingayats. And it could example of the BJP’s mastery of the not afford disaffection among them, since the other power-wielding caste of Karnataka, the Vokkaligas, were still largely with the JD(S). Thus it came to be that the sceptre was handed to community man Bom- mai, even if he was not old BJP stock. It was trading one risk for another, accepting the manageable one of inner-party factionalism in 3 0 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 BANDEEP SINGH

MANDAR DEODHAR ORDER, ORDER New Maharashtra DEFECTORS HAVE PLAYED A assembly speaker, the BJP’s Rahul PIVOTAL ROLE IN EXPANDING Narwekar, with CM Eknath Shinde THE BJP FOOTPRINT ACROSS and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis INDIA, BESIDES ENRICHING THE PARTY’S TALENT POOL AT THE caste-and-community game. If its spectacular back- to-back wins in 2014/17/19/22 are seen as a natural CENTRE. BUT IT IS FINALLY A outcome of a Hindutva party playing on a home pitch, DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD the truth is that a carefully chosen set of inductees helped it take slices of the social map from other pat- cern, because development policies do not always sync ent-holders, the SP and BSP. Clue? As many as 12 out of well with tribal interests. “Our presence and hold in the 53 Yogi 2.0 ministers are politicians from non-saffron tribal areas is declining day by day. We need to establish a backgrounds. This includes even deputy CM Brajesh strong connection,” a top BJP leader told the party leader- Pathak—an erstwhile confidant of BSP supremo May- ship at a recent meeting in Delhi. The poaching of senior awati who joined the BJP in 2016 and has now become tribal leader Ashvin Kotwal, the party’s latest acquisition a useful Brahmin face, helping blunt the old charge of from the Congress in Gujarat, will add another string to ‘Thakurvaad’ that was levelled against Yogi. its bow as the party seeks to build bridges with Adivasis in that state as also in MP, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. B efore 2022, the BJP also relied on a string of All four are poll-bound states, and the Congress had won Pathak’s erstwhile BSP colleagues: the likes 86 of the 128 seats reserved for Scheduled Tribes in these of Swami Prasad Maurya and Dharam Singh states in 2017-18. That Draupadi Murmu is slated to be Saini (who together attempted a reverse exodus the next President will not harm the cause either, but to the SP, in vain, before elections this year) and that’s an aside to this story. S.P. Baghel, all once part of Mayawati’s growth story in the state. The BJP persisted with Baghel, despite his ear- The upshot is that the dominant species may have ly lack of success after crossing over in 2014. They made everything it takes to enact its key role: proliferate and him national president of the party’s OBC morcha, and thrive in such a manner that it turns the ecosystem it- once he won from Tundla this year, he was ensconced in self to its advantage, affecting it in ways that aid its self- Modi’s cabinet as MoS, law and justice. What helps the preservation. But the surrounding Indian political eco- party make inroads into the communities these leaders system, alien in large measure for a traditionally north represent is also the parallel focus on welfarism, which Indian savarna party is rich and complex enough to allows non-BJP figures to rationalise their switch. effect changes within the dominant species too. Defec- tors have played a pivotal role in expanding the saffron Another massive social bloc where a touch of wel- footprint across India, besides enriching the party’s talent farism never goes amiss is India’s tribal population, pool at the Centre. But it is finally a double-edged sword. a major focus area for the party. Also an area of con- Despite the sometimes over-enthusiastic enactments of Hindutva by new converts like Himanta and Bommai, no one has yet alleged that the conversions are happening primarily because of ideology. The latter is merely a vest- ment the neo-initiates perforce don. And the fact is that most turncoats do come from different political cultures. Often, as with the Congress, those cultures are freer, indi- vidualistic spaces that allow a lot more latitude to satraps. Their presence in a collectivised party like the BJP, with its strong roots in the RSS culture, increases the sense of insecurity among existing cadre and threatens to di- lute political values. “It might be a good strategy when the party is growing, but the real test will be during the downturn. Will they stick around? Are they not joining because of political opportunism? There are flipsides to the story with uncomfortable questions,” says a top BJP leader. For now, though, those questions can be deferred. The conquest of India is afoot. „ —With Bureau Reports J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 3 1

THE NATION UDAIPUR MURDER BELIEF IN THE EXTREME THE NIA INVESTIGATION INTO THE BRUTAL UDAIPUR MURDER SUGGESTS THAT THE ACCUSED MAY HAVE BEEN RADICALISED AND RECRUITED BY ISLAMIST EXTREMISTS FROM ACROSS THE BORDER By Rohit Parihar A s the National Investigative Agency worries anti-terrorism agencies in (NIA) gets custody of the accused India is whether external forces are in two murder cases being linked plotting a new form of terror, get- to the Nupur Sharma incident—the ting extremist Islamists to target brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur those guilty of ‘blasphemy’. in Rajasthan on June 28 and the earlier murder of a pharmacist A week after two middle-aged in Amravati in Maharashtra—it Muslims killed a Hindu tailor in faces significant challenges. The the walled city of Udaipur, record- main task for the investigators is to ing the crime on videos that inevi- discover whether any more related tably went viral, curfew has been attacks have been planned. “We relaxed and the city is returning to know that handlers in Pakistan of normal. The internet ban imposed the two accused in the Kanhaiya in most parts of the state has Lal Teli murder in Udaipur did in- also been lifted (Rajasthan ranks stigate them to do something big,” second after Jammu and Kash- says a senior officer, adding that mir in disrupting web services to it was too early to attribute any maintain law and order). The NIA cross-border connection to Umesh court in Jaipur sent the two main Kolhe’s killing in Amravati. What accused to 10-day police remand on July 2; the central agency has 3 2 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

MOBBED The Udaipur murder accused were roughed up at the NIA court premises in Jaipur, July 2 ANI also taken more suspects into custody Gaus Mohammad, who had visited accused Mohammad Riyaz in 2019. including those alleged to have been Pakistan for 45 days in 2014 on a visa It is suspected that Kohle’s murder in in the know about the plot. Across the arranged from that country. Gaus has Amravati on June 21 too was moti- state, the police has been booking and been to Nepal too and had also gone vated by the victim’s reported sup- arresting people from both communi- to Saudi Arabia on Haj as had second port on social media for Sharma. The ties for circulating videos of Sharma investigators are also looking into why or the murder to instigate violence. THE NIA’S BRIEF Gaus had visited Pakistan in 2014, and Describing the killers, Gaus Moh- IS TO LOOK INTO A whether anyone funded the two men’s ammad and Mohammad Riyaz, an POSSIBLE LARGER trips abroad, given that both are from officer who interrogated the two told CONSPIRACY TO low income families. INDIA TODAY: “They had no remorse CREATE COMMUNAL whatsoever for their actions.” DISHARMONY Gaus’s father was a collection BEHIND THE agent for the Sahara India finance The central brief of the NIA inves- UDAIPUR MURDER company and after the firm closed set tigation and the anti-terrorism squad up a small grocery shop in his home, (ATS) of Rajasthan is to look for clues a few hundred metres from the house about whether the two were part of a where Riyaz had shifted two weeks larger conspiracy to create commu- before the murder. Both houses are nal disharmony and how intelligence within sight of a police post and the agencies at the Centre and the state adjoining mosque at the historic Kish- missed out on flagging someone like anpole Gate. Gaus, a matriculate, was J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 33

THE NATION UDAIPUR MURDER described as well-mannered and made PURUSHOTTAM DIWAKARGRAVE TRAGEDY Murder a living by taking online orders for his victim Kanhaiya Lal’s son father’s shop and delivering goods to Tarun with his father’s customers. Riyaz, a near-illiterate steel ashes in front of their fabricator, was known to be loud and house in Udaipur, July 4 rough in the locality where he kept shifting houses often after defaulting THE ACCUSED WERE on the rent. But Iqbal Bhai, who runs REPORTEDLY TOLD a small biryani shop next to Riyaz’s TO “DO SOMETHING latest residence, says he hardly noticed BIG” TO BECOME the man or his wife. THE POSTER BOYS OF THE EXTREMIST Muslims in Udaipur are not par- OUTFIT, TEHREEK E ticularly orthodox, and it is unusual to LABBAIK PAKISTAN see a woman in a burqa. So here too, there was nothing that stuck out from bitually screen such travellers, though the ordinary. But inspector general of a source in the Intelligence Bureau police, Udaipur range, Praful Kumar said it is not possible to scan everyone, says radicalisation has to be looked at especially if the name does not pop up more deeply. “The frequency of Gaus’s on their radar. conversations with his two handlers in Pakistan increased considerably in the But what has sparked a major con- two weeks before the murder. Before troversy is the presence of Riyaz at a we handed over the accused to the number of events organised by the BJP NIA, we learnt about the two recently being asked to do something big to become the poster boys of the Tehreek- e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP).” TLP is an extremist Islamist organisation that was earlier banned in Pakistan. The role of social media in instigating the killers is also being looked into. Investigations so far indicate that on his Pakistan trip Gaus visited the Karachi-based Daawat-e-Islami–a non-profit with no terror links and known for its Islamic educational institutions across the world—and was probably recruited as a good contact in India. He has been in active touch with someone from the TLP, and at least one other person in Pakistan, who may have been Gaus’ handlers there. One of them has been identified as a caretaker at the Dawat-e-Islami headquarters and the other one is a preacher. Agencies are ascertaining whether, in the 45 days he spent in Pakistan, he had gone to places other than Karachi (for which he was issued the visa) and if that country’s intelli- gence agency, the Inter-Services Intel- ligence (ISI), is complicit in the matter. Indians going to Pakistan on religious visits is not an unusual thing. By the same token, Indian agencies ha- 3 4 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

PURUSHOTTAM DIWAKAR UNANSWERED and IT cell in Jammu at one point. QUESTIONS The BJP’s Gulab Chand Kataria, CRIME SCENE 1 Gaus had visited leader of the opposition and a former Policemen guard the Pakistan for 45 days in home minister, has asked the police shop where Kanhaiya 2014, why wasn’t he red- to probe whether his photograph with flagged by the intelligence Riyaz in the backdrop was morphed. Lal was murdered agencies? The police say they are yet to question Riyaz on why he had been visiting the 2 Why was Riyaz att- BJP events but confirm that he used to ending BJP events in frequent the place where Kanhaiya Lal Rajasthan; was he part of ran his tailoring shop to meet friends, their minority cell? which is perhaps how he got to know about Lal’s social media post. Riyaz 3 Who paid for the for- even sharpened the cleavers used in the eign trips of Gaus and killing and made a video on June 17 an- Riyaz? nouncing the planned murder. 4 Was the Pakistani ISI M eanwhile, Chief Min- involved in grooming ister Ashok Gehlot has Gaus as a mole in india? been quick to take credit for getting the accused 5 Did Gaus and Riyaz act arrested within hours and maintaining on their own or were peace despite the charged atmosphere. more locals involved in Additional forces were mobilised for planning the murder? sensitive areas and protest marches by Hindutva groups and the BJP across and its affiliate organisations as part the state remained mostly peaceful. of its so-called ‘minority cell’. The CM also visited the family of Kan- haiya Lal and also met with Ishwari The Rajasthan Congress has ac- Singh, Lal’s helper at the tailor shop cused the opposition BJP of cultivat- who is recuperating from the injuries ing such people and then brainwash- he received in the horrific attack. ing them to commit crimes so as to run down the Muslim community. Gehlot also met Shakti Singh and State PCC president Govind Singh Prahlad Singh, the two young villagers Dotasra wrote in a letter to NIA chief who, on being alerted by a policeman, Dinkar Gupta on July 5: “Our coun- chased the escaping Gaus and Riyaz for trymen are anxious about whether the miles and tipped the police about their BJP, in its greed for power, is support- location. Amid allegations of police ing anti-national activities. I request failure, five officers of the Rajasthan you to expand the NIA’s investigations Police Services were suspended for not to look into the BJP link in both the taking Kanhaiya Lal’s pleas about a Udaipur and Kashmir incidents and threat to his life seriously. bring out the truth.” Dotasra was referring to photos of Riyaz with BJP The BJP leaders reacted a bit late leaders and, in the Kashmir inci- but on July 4 former chief minister dent, Talib Hussain Shah, an alleged Vasundhara Raje and Union minister Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Gajendra Singh Shekhawat visited arrested on July 4 who reportedly Lal’s family where, predictably, they headed the BJP’s minority morcha blamed the Gehlot government for the murder. Meanwhile, the state’s reputa- tion too has taken a hit with huge cancellations of tourists arrivals in Udaipur and Muslims expressing fears that they could be further isolated as Hindu employers shy away from hiring members of the community. „ J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 3 5

BIG STORY MADHYA PRADESH BREAKING THE CLASS BARRIER THE GOVERNMENT-RUN CM RISE SCHOOLS IN MADHYA PRADESH SEEK TO BRING QUALITY EDUCATION TO UNDERPRIVILEGED CHILDREN. BUT SOME FEEL BY DOING SO THE PROJECT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST OTHER SCHOOLS By RAHUL NORONHA T TWELVE YEAR OLD VIKAS (name changed), a student KEY FEATURES of class IV at the government run CM RISE school OF CM RISE in Barkhedi area of Bhopal, is diffident when asked SCHOOLS to write his name in English. It’s not surprising—the first generation learner, is just one of millions of chil- Ô World-class dren students who spent the past two years at home infrastructure due to Covid-induced lockdowns. Moreover, govern- ment schools have long been a icted by low-quality Ô Transport facilities teaching and dearth of infrastructure, leading to learning gaps. Vikas has been promoted every year Ô Pre-primary classes without an assessment of his learning. Ô Smart classrooms The Madhya Pradesh government’s latest, but not the first, intervention in school education aims to address this. Students Ô 100 per cent sta , at the Barkhedi government school returned to the campus af- including support sta ter two years to find swanky classrooms with electronic teach- ing aids, new furniture, air-conditioned libraries, a counseling Ô Sta capacity room, a medical room, a music class with instruments, even an building AI lab. Like many of his classmates from modest backgrounds, Vikas says he doesn’t want to go back home. Ô Fully resourced libraries and labs The institution is one of a series of schools the MP govern- ment has set up across the state, particularly to address low Ô 21st-century skills quality pedagogy, bridge learning gaps and provide services programme usually identified with private schools. A total of 380 CM RISE (an acronym for Respect Integrity Strength and Excellence) Ô Vocational schools, both in urban and rural areas, have been started with education this express purpose, and have become functional in the last fortnight. It will be scaled up to 9,200 in the next 10 years. Ô Parent engagement Madhya Pradesh’s government run schools have been 3 6 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

ACCESS ENABLED A student reaches out for a book in the library of a CM RISE school in Bhopal MUJEEB FARUQUI blighted by poor quality. The annual “At the CM RISE schools, learning has been status of education report (ASER) by made quantifiable. Teachers have to Pratham, an NGO that works in the ed- keep track of whether students ucation sector, corroborates this. The re- have learnt what they were taught” port on learning trends in MP between 2012-2018 (pre-Covid) found that while — RASHMI ARUN SHAMI, Principal Secretary, Department of School Education, MP there was a marginal improvement in the percentage of class II students who the CM RISE schools project by inte- ers and principals have been given a could read designated texts (story level) grating primary, middle and secondary handbook to follow. “Learning has been from 2.7 per cent in 2012 to four per schools in one campus as this prevents made quantifiable, as teachers have to cent in 2018, there was a regression in students from dropping out. A nation- make lesson plans and know if students reading ability. While in 2012, 64.6 per al design competition was organised have learnt what has been taught. Even cent students in class VIII could read and 31 architects chosen to design the disciplinary rules have been made, text for class II students, this fell to 57.9 schools. The government used data clarifying what is to be done in case of per cent in 2018. analytics with variables such as land transgressions,” says principal secretary, and infrastructure availability and school education, Rashmi Arun Shami. The public education sector in MP enrolment to decide the schools’ loca- For selecting teachers, applications is marred by a legacy of politics, recruit- tions, finally shortlisting 15,000 places, were invited and tests were held. “The ment scams, low-quality teachers and which have been scaled down to 9,200. idea is to get teachers with a higher the government’s reluctance to take cor- skill set and commitment level,” she rective steps. But with quality education Pre-primary classes have been in- added. Principals and teachers are be- now on the political agenda, MP CM troduced in the state (most states don’t ing trained at IIM Indore. The schools Shivraj Singh Chouhan gave a go ahead have them in government schools) have smart classrooms, laboratories, to the CM RISE concept in March 2020 through CM RISE Schools. Also, teach- after he returned for a fourth term. The school education department began the process for putting in place J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 3 7

BIG STORY MADHYA PRADESH HOW WELL THE CHILD LEARNS However, not everyone is a votary of the CM RISE schools concept. “Any policy Learning Trends in Madhya Pradesh, 2012-2018 intervention should be within the frame- work of the Constitution. No country has Class Percentage of students who could read been able to achieve universalisation of class II text ( story level) elementary education without giving equitable education in all schools,” says 2012 2018 noted educationist Anil Sadgopal, essen- tially suggesting that 9,200 schools out of Class II 2.7 4 1,00,000 are too few. “By creating schools Class III 7 that have more than others, the govern- Class IV 16.9 10.4 ment will deny better education to the re- Class V 27.5 maining schools, which is constitutionally Class VI 43 24.7 unjust,” he adds. “More specifically, the Class VII 54.2 CM RISE schools have not been able to Class VIII 64.4 34.4 shield teachers from election and other government duties that impact teaching.” 46 Sadgopal, who was part of the drafting committee for the Right to Education Act, 53.6 says that MP has had a number of policy interventions in the past, including the 57.9 “disastrous” Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS), which led to the recruitment of low Source: Annual State of Education Report (ASER), Pratham quality staff. “Many state governments tried addressing issues of quality but of- halls for extra-curricular activities like MP’S SCHOOLS ten financial support is withdrawn and arts, music and dance and space for IN NUMBERS the schools die a natural death,” he says. physical training and games. Total number of Interestingly, though the Rashtriya How are CM RISE schools different schools in MP Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its affiliates from similar attempts at creating qual- are often accused of trying to ‘saffronise’ ity schools in the past in MP? A decade 1.25 lakh the education sector, the CM RISE schools ago, the government set up Schools of have not run into political controversy. In Excellence, in which students with a Total number of govt fact, Opposition Congress MLAs want certain level of ability and above were schools more schools in their constituencies. “The taken. However, CM RISE Schools are schools will follow the curriculum of the inclusive and aim to provide quality edu- 92,000 NEP 2020 approved by the Union govern- cation irrespective of the child’s ability. ment,” says an official. Indeed, adherence Before the Schools of Excellence were Total number of to NEP 2020 seems to be a reason why the the Model Schools set up in the 1950s private schools Sangh has no issues with CM RISE schools, and ’60s, which aimed at something except a demand to introduce yoga. similar. “At CM RISE schools, the child 33,000 is the centre of learning, something we The CM RISE schools face immediate never did in the past. Academics alone Total number of CM RISE and long term challenges. For one, creation is not stressed upon, but wholesome schools proposed of infrastructure is taking time. Secondly, development through promotion of the over ten years finding committed teachers is a huge challe- concepts of RISE—Respect Integrity nge. “Managing expectations is a challenge Strength and Excellence,” says Kam- 9,200 as these schools set out to achieve what has leshwar Dayal Shrivastava, principal of not been done elsewhere,” says Shiladitya the Government School, Barkhedi, now Total number of CM RISE Ghosh of People India, a voluntary agency a CM RISE school. Shrivastava claims Schools announced in working on the CM RISE project. that attendance was 52 out of 400 high financial year 2022-23 school students the first day the school The task is gargantuan, but if success- reopened, which has shot up to 200 now. 380 ful, the CM RISE schools would accomplish the near impossible—providing quality 3 8 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 Budget for CM RISE education to those who cannot afford it. „ project over the next 10 years 1.53Rs lakh crores



DEFENCE DRONES THE DRONE ACHARYA THE DRDO’S ADVANCED PROTOTYPE FOR AN INDIGENOUS COMBAT READY STEALTH DRONE TAKES WING By PRADIP R. SAGAR IN the first week of January successfully tested a combat drone, also called the 2020, two MQ-9 Reaper ‘autonomous flying wing technology demonstra- drones took off from an tor’ at the aeronautical test range in Karnataka’s airbase in Kuwait and Chitradurga. The drone did not stay aloft for the travelled 600 km to hov- full test time of an hour, but it was enough to send er over Baghdad interna- a message to the world about India’s growing un- tional airport. Seconds manned offensive capability. after the green signal, Designed and developed by the DRDO’s Ban- the drones fired missiles galuru-based Aeronautical Development Estab- lishment (ADE), the Stealth Wing Flying Testbed to knock out two cars that were leaving the airport. The attack (SWiFT) UAV is a technology demonstrator and killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chairman of Hashd al- Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces), an Iran-backed militia in Iraq. The Reapers’ precision stunned the world. Two and a half years later, India’s defence scientists showed the world that the country too has the capability to carry out such precision strikes. The DRDO (Defence Re- search and Development Organisation) announced that it has 40 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

Low heat SWiFT COMBAT DRONE (PROTOTYPE) exhaust With stealth features and lightning speed, the UAV can strike deep in enemy territory before radars can detect it Weight Air-time Command range 1.1 60 200 TONNE MINUTES KM Jet engine Precision- Speed Elevation intake guided missiles 600-1,000 20,000 KM/HR FEET (6 KM) Firepower LASER-GUIDED BOMBS The SWiFT project a prototype (scaled-down version) for the upcoming un- was sanctioned in manned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) also known as the 2016 and got Rs 70 Ghatak combat drone. While the SWiFT weighs just one crore in funds with the tonne, the Ghatak UCAV is expected to be 13 tonnes. proviso that it would demonstrate and prove The SWiFT project was sanctioned in 2016 with barely the stealth technology Rs 70 crore in funds. Its main intent was to demonstrate and prove the stealth technology and high-speed landing technology in autonomous mode, says a defence scientist. Calling it a “picture perfect” story, a defence scientist involved in its development says, “The critical technology like autonomous take-off and landing has been achieved. Autono- J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 41

DEFENCE DRONES mous take-off, waypoint navigation, AURA (Autonomous Unmanned landing precision, ground steering GHATAK Research Aircraft) programme. and complete halt can be done with- AURA had a budget of Rs 12.5 out any ground support,” he says. DRONE crore to carry out a feasibility study Unlike most aircraft which for a future Indian UCAV. The ADE typically have a pair of wings, was already working on the Ghatak horizontal and vertical tail and STEALTH project when it was commissioned fuselage, the SWiFT has just one to produce the SWiFT as a proto- single lift surface. “We have mas- Stealth tech to avoid radar type. Though work on the SWiFT tered the technology. Now it’s up to detection, 70% of which will prototype began in 2016, the proj- the government to decide on how to come from the design, 30% from ect lost its momentum due to the go forward,” says another scientist. material/ tech such as radar- Covid pandemic. The project is yet to get the Cabi- absorbent paint, radio frequency A majority of the stealth fea- net Committee on Security (CCS) reduction techniques tures in the SWiFT combat drone approval. Defence scientists claim were developed by the Aeronauti- the flight test was of a scaled-down INTERNAL WEAPONS BAY cal Development Agency (ADA), prototype while a full-scale proto- a Bengaluru-based aircraft design type will take a couple of years to Can carry a minimum of 2 and development establishment get finalised. The demonstrator is laser-guided bombs working on India’s own 6th Gen- the first step towards India’s own eration Stealth Advanced Medium unmanned strike air vehicle. Combat Aircraft (AMCA). The Powered by a Russian turbo- WEIGHT stealth technology was transferred fan made by NPO-Saturn, the by ADA to scientists at the ADE. SWiFT’s airframe, undercarriage 15 tonnes (max. take-o India is among the few mod- and landing gear, flight controls, weight, including fuel and ern militaries that still do not have and avionics system were devel- weapons payload) armed drones. Even smaller coun- oped indigenously. However, the tries like Pakistan, Nigeria, Soma- majority of its avionics and elec- lia and South Africa are now using tronics are derived from another Many of the stealth weaponised drones. drone, the Tapas-BH-201, a me- features in SWiFT Currently, all three wings of dium-altitude long-endurance were developed (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle, the armed forces are dependent on which is now in the final stages of foreign-made drones like the Isra- el-made Heron and Searchers, and development. If the Tapas proves by ADA, which is that too only to gather intelligence. successful, it could signal the end working on India’s That said, under Project Cheetah, of the armed forces’ dependence on the Indian Air Force (IAF) is look- foreign-made UAVs. own 6th Gen Stealth ing to upgrade its existing fleet of “SWiFT is much faster than combat aircraft Heron drones for offensive mis- sions. The medium-altitude, long- other armed drones like the MQ9 Reaper or Predator or Sea Guard- endurance Israeli drones are being ian. It’s a stealth combat drone ca- fitted with laser-guided bombs and pable of flying with lightning speed and firing missiles and air-to-ground and air-launched anti-tank missiles. The air dropping bombs even before enemy radars can detect it,” force, which is the lead agency for the project, will spend says a defence scientist. Defence analysts are comparing Rs 5,000 crore on the upgrades. SWiFT with the US navy’s X-47, French Dassault’s Neuron The war in Ukraine has once again highlighted the (nEUROn) and the Russian Sukhoi S-70 Okhotnik-B. role of drones in combat. Video footage circulating on the ADE has been working on the Ghatak project, which internet showed how the Turkish combat drone Bayraktar is an autonomous jet-powered stealthy unmanned combat TB2 successfully carried out strikes against the Russian air vehicle. Project details are still classified, but it is be- army and its armoured vehicles. The same Bayraktar was lieved that the Ghatak will have an internal weapons bay used in Libya and in the battle between Azerbaijan and for carrying missiles, bombs and precision-guided muni- Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh in 2020. Videos of Ar- tions. Its design will be based on the flying-wing concept menian tanks and artillery positions being decimated by and will be powered by a turbofan engine. Azerbaijan’s drones showed the world the changing char- Project Ghatak was initiated as a successor to the 2009 acter of new-age wars. „ 4 2 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2



ENTERTAINMENT | OTT SOUTHERN SEASON Streaming platforms rush to A jit Thakur is a worried include Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam boss these days. Head- and Kannada content on their ing a team of 200 people slates as audiences become at aha, a leading OTT language-agnostic in their quest platform in Telugu, he for wholesome entertainment has had at least 10 em- By Suhani Singh ployees (whom he knows of) approached by a rival streaming giant. “It’s validat- ing,” he says, “but also a pain to hold on to the flock.” For over two years, the Hyderabad-based CEO didn’t have to worry about the big OTT players. With 4 4 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

SLICE OF LIFE Allu Arjun and Vijay Deverakonda Disney+ Hotstar is already home as investors and brand ambassa- to web series in Tamil and Telugu, Amazon Prime Video’s Tamil dors, stars like Samantha, Nithya and even ZEE5 is expanding its thriller Suzhal: The Vortex; Menen, Priyamani and Regina regional slate. Netflix, which roped Applause Entertainment’s Cassandra featuring in its originals in Mani Ratnam for the anthology hilarious Kannada production and a weekly dose of new content, Navarasa and won hearts with Humble Politician Nograj; Tovino aha built a subscriber base of two its first Malayalam original film, Thomas as and in Minnal Murali, million. But now it has competi- Minnal Murali, last year, is getting Netflix’s first Malayalam film tion—plenty of it. into the series space. Applause Entertainment, having already Be it Amazon Prime Video or produced Kannada series Humble ZEE5, pretty much every major Politician Nograj (Voot Select) with platform has set up shop in Chen- Danish Sait in the titular part and nai and Hyderabad. They have no three web series in Tamil, has also choice. As per an EY-FICCI report got a dedicated office in Chennai titled ‘Tuning into the Consumer’ “with an eye to upscale its regional in March 2022, “OTT platforms content repertoire”. desirous of a national reach will require to focus on at least eight to India has an estimated 40 nine languages and each language million SVoD (subscriber video- will require at least eight to ten on-demand) users. An estimated pieces of content across film and 20 per cent of these come from the episodic per year.” It’s why the southern centres. With Tamil Nadu, four southern languages—Tamil, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Telugu, Malayalam and Kan- behind only Maharashtra in aver- nada—are pivotal to the content age internet consumption, OTT strategy. In June, Amazon Prime platforms have a captive audience Video dropped its first Tamil waiting to be served. “They do not original, Suzhal – The Vortex, while have options, for Hindi doesn’t SonyLIV recently announced a host cover even 50 per cent of India,” says of Tamil titles it will be releasing. Ashish Golwalkar, head of originals J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 4 5

ENTERTAINMENT | OTT COMING Ô MAA NEELLA SOON... TANK [ZEE5] at SonyLIV, when asked about their linguistic expansion. SonyLIV unveils Set in a small village in Nellore its southside line-up with Meme Boys district, the Telugu romcom (Tamil). Telugu, Malayalam and Kan- starts off when a wannabe nada are next on the radar. influencer threatens to do a Veeru and jump off a water LANGUAGE NO BAR tank if he doesn’t get to marry Why only now? “Everybody first the woman he wants. A police wanted to get Hindi right,” says aha’s o cer reluctantly intervenes. Thakur. “It’s a big battleground, it is expensive and it has occupied all Ô TAMILROCKERZ the mind space.” Having developed [SONYLIV] hundreds of series in Hindi for five years now, OTT platforms are keen A police o cer fights against to collaborate with filmmakers in time and unruly fans as he the robust Chennai and Hyderabad looks to stop the notorious entertainment industries. Some like piracy group from leaking Aparna Purohit, head of originals at a big-budgeted and highly Amazon Prime Video, were visiting anticipated film these two cities as far back as in 2017- 18, meeting filmmakers like Pushkar- AFTER GETTING HINDI RIGHT BY MAKING Gayathri (of Vikram Vedha fame), HUNDREDS OF SERIES IN THE PAST FIVE Pa Ranjith (Madras, Kabali), Sudha YEARS, OTT PLATFORMS ARE KEEN TO Kongara (Irudhi Suttru), among WORK WITH FILMMAKERS IN THE ROBUST others. “Every time the licensing team CHENNAI AND HYDERABAD INDUSTRIES struck a deal, I’d be like ‘Please intro- duce me to the creator’,” recalls Pu- Amazon Prime Video user watches GOING GLOBAL WITH LOCAL rohit. “Initially, they [creators] were content in four languages. Even as sussing us out. They wanted to know Purohit feels “accepted and embraced” With the OTT viewer warming up ‘Is there commitment? Are we serious by the southern film fraternity, she to language-agnostic content, more about it?’ On one such trip, when knows the significance of having “local content producers have been motivated Pushkar-Gayathri floated the idea boots on the ground”. She has what she to take the southern market seriously. of a police investigation that unfolds describes as a “skeletal but well-net- Chennai-based Suji Prabhakaran, chief in the backdrop of a local festival, worked team who speak and under- cluster officer – south (linear and OTT) Purohit “knew it would transcend” stand the language”. Amazon Prime at ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, linguistic and geographical barriers. Video’s southern roster includes instal- spent the last year and a half develop- ments of Modern Love Hyderabad and ing originals in the south. “We started T he Covid-19 pandemic Modern Love: Chennai, Dhootha with looking for strong stories rooted in helped bridge these bound- Telugu actor Naga Chaitanya and the our culture,” he says. Soon, Prabha- aries further. As cinemas Tamil series The Village with Arya. karan and even aha’s Thakur realised had to down shutters for the need “to build the muscle of series months, the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and SonyLIV acquired an abundance of southern films and added to their library and audience base. The EY-FICCI report noted that 50 per cent of the viewers of regional language films on OTT platforms in 2021 came from outside the home state. “In the past two years, the linguistic palette has expanded and accessibility has increased so much,” says Purohit, adding that an average 4 6 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

Ô THE VILLAGE [AMAZON PRIME VIDEO] of the US series Ray Donovan. Based on a graphic novel, the Tamil series follows The fact that major OTT players are a family on a road trip that finds itself attacked by a clan of mutants. Arya of Sarpatta Parambarai now seeking stories from the south has fame headlines the cast. liberated filmmakers such as Nagesh Kukunoor, co-writer and creative Ô DHOOTHA [AMAZON producer of Modern Love Hyderabad, PRIME VIDEO] the Telugu anthology that dropped on Amazon Prime Video on July 8. “Ear- A Telugu supernatural horror lier, your local multiplex in Mumbai in which ‘possessed inanimate would have a show or two of a Malay- objects’ wreak havoc on the lives alam or Telugu film, that too infre- of those who have sinned. Featur- quently,” says Kukunoor. “Now we can ing Naga Chaitanya, Parvathy find it streaming a month or so later. For the first time, film industries in the Thiruvothu and Prachi Desai. south are getting due recognition. They aren’t fringe elements anymore.” After Ô MEME BOYS [SONYLIV] years of making Hindi films and series, Four collegians run an anonymous Kukunoor says he is now “confident” meme page that takes on their op- and “glad” to create more in Telugu. pressive college administration in this Tamil series. GROWING FIELD Other filmmakers are following suit. writing”, a whole new beast compared well in forging deep relationships with National Award-winning filmmaker to writing for television and film with creators. We curated a good south slate Vetrimaaran has developed shows a required length of 250-400 minutes. and made our own also,” says Monika for both ZEE5 and aha, respectively; In an industry where superstars are Shergil, vice president, content - Netflix Pushkar-Gayathri are doing two worshipped like deities, writing be- India. The latter included Minnal more with Amazon Prime Video, and came the star for a change on stream- Murali, which was among the top 10 Karthik Subbaraj is a showrunner ing platforms. “The only way you can films in 30 countries, including Ar- for SonyLIV. “Filmmakers realise stand out in streaming is by creating gentina, Brazil, Nigeria, Malaysia, and that there are stories they are not content that has the social currency to was watched for over 25 million hours, able to tell in 120-150 minutes,” says travel, appeals to the largest-paying according to Netflix. More than 40 Prabhakaran. “OTT allows you more audience base and can do differenti- per cent of Navrasa’s viewership came nuanced storytelling with characters ated storytelling and on a consistent from outside India in its first week. The who have shades of grey.” It’s a lure basis,” says Prabhakaran, who plans to channel also prioritises the customers for actors too, as they are now shed- have a Tamil and Telugu series every in the three southern states by dubbing ding their inhibitions about featuring month. He has a chief content officer some of its marquee international in OTT films and series. for Tamil and Telugu, respectively, to shows such as Money Heist (Spanish), help accomplish the goal. Stranger Things and The Squid Game As production budgets expand and (Korean) in Tamil and Telugu. Even as licence bids for southern films get more The success of Tamil, Telugu and Netflix looks to develop original series expensive, regional platforms like aha Malayalam films has been instru- in Tamil and Telugu, it reaches out to have their work cut out. “We are not go- mental in OTT platforms investing in audiences in these markets by collabo- ing to sign blank cheques like the bigger the creative economies there. And the rating with Telugu actors Rana Daggu- players,” says Thakur. “But competi- enthusiasm isn’t limited just to India. bati and Venkatesh, albeit for a Hindi tion is welcome. There’s a big task of “Back in 2020, we decided to go big original—Rana Naidu—an adaptation growing the category.” aha launched its on licence cinema. It paid off really Tamil interface in April and is eyeing the Malayalam market next. Narrative will be key. “A good story always travels from one part to another,” says Prabha- karan. “Southern films in theatres are showing us that.” It won’t be long before the next pan-India sensation comes down a streaming channel. „ J U LY 18 , 2 02 2 INDIA TODAY 47

GUSTS FRO GRAPPLING WITH THE STATE OF INDIAN POLITICS, GOVERNANCE WALKS OF LIFE MADE THE INDIA TODAY CONCLAVE EAST 2022 A By Romita Dutta A At a time when the nation’s atmosphere is volatile and politically charged, and rancour and hatred are thick in the air, the fifth edition of India Today Group’s Conclave East deliberated, debated and opened up dialogue on some of the most polarising issues of our time. The intellec- tual churn of the event, over two consecu- tive days, spread clarity, buried misun- derstandings, brought people closer and inevitably sparked fresh controversy. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, as a bulwark of the Opposition, not only gave glimpses of what a future, alternative leader would be like, she yet again warned that any Maharashtra-like experiment in Bengal would be the BJP’s biggest blunder. The 2021 assembly elec- tions loss still possibly stings, but Amit Shah is undeterred. In her solo session— “National Affairs: The Vision for an Alternative Leadership”, Mamata has ac- cepted Shah’s challenge, reminding him how well fortified Bengal is: “First learn to swim, then dare to cross Bay of Bengal. Then there’s the Royal Bengal tiger. My people are my Royal Bengal tigers.” Trinamool MP Saugata Ray and social welfare minister Shashi Panja in their respective sessions held Bengal as an example of resistance to the flood of Photographs by CHANDRADEEP KUMAR AND DEBAJYOTI CHAKRABORTY 4 8 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2

M THE EAST AND MORE, PROMINENT PEOPLE FROM ALL HIVE OF LIVELY DEBATE AND DISCUSSION HOLDING HER OWN West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at the Conclave

polarisation. In the “Cultural Hindu rashtra, propounded INTERVIEW Conundrum” session, Ray said by Savarkar was exclusion- that Hindutva can never take ary, Gupta countered that the “ I HAVE SEEN root in the Bengali cultural ethos “civilisational concept of nation MANY of Rabindranath Tagore, Raja is always inclusive”. Rammohun Roy and Swami GOVERNMENTS Vivekananda. This prompted “Accept it or not, polarisa- BUT NEVER Kanchan Gupta, senior adviser, tion is a harsh reality in Indian SUCH A Union ministry of information politics,” said Trinamool Con- VINDICTIVE and broadcasting, to remind him gress Rajya Sabha MP, Sush- ONE ” that the idea of Hindutva was first mita Deb, during the “Driving crystallised in Bengal and the first Force: Performance versus Po- In a freewheeling discus- concept of ‘Bharat Mata’ emerged larisation” session. Even though sion with Rajdeep Sardesai here, in a painting by the artist she sees nothing wrong in ‘social at the fifth edition of India Abanindranath Tagore. While engineering’ (a term that has Today Conclave East, West Ray argued that the concept of become a shorthand for caste Bengal chief minister Mamata equations) being an accepted Banerjee not only gave bold “Our new digital venture part of electoral politics, Deb India Today NE, warned that polarisation brings brush strokes of what an a dangerous twist to identity- Opposition leader needs to do will showcase the area based electoral politics. for a BJP-mukt Bharat, she better and correct also warned Amit Shah that misunderstandings P radyot Bikram Manikya about the region” Deb Barma, chairman of any Maharashtra like TIPRA (The Indigenous adventure in Bengal might KALLI PURIE Progressive Regional Alliance) Vice-chairperson, couldn’t agree more. “If perfor- cost him dearly India Today Group mance had mattered, Atal Be- hari Vajpayee’s BJP would have won with the ‘India Shining’ campaign. But it was only after the BJP campaigned with ghar ke andar ghus ke maara (hit them in their homes) that it won a resounding victory.” When BJP MLA R.K. Imo Singh tried to reason that development and consistent performance in the Northeast by the current NDA government have secured the support of ‘eight sisters’ for the BJP, Pradyut said that develop- ment by the NDA comes armed with politics: “Why is the Inner Line Permit being allowed in those states which do not share an international boundary with Bangladesh? Is this not pick and choose to secure your vote- bank?” Pradyut argued. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, speaking in the “Regional Realignment” session, gave out the secret of the perfect balancing job that he has mastered. “As there’s no need to hide that we are working with 50 INDIA TODAY J U LY 18 , 2 02 2