As the political mercury shoots up in Assam before the first phase of the Assembly elections, The Sunday Guardian caught up with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on the campaign trail to decode their strategy to retain this important Northeastern state.

Q: What are the issues in Assam and why do you think the BJP will form the government again in the state?

A: The Government of India has already outdone the work that was done by the previous governments in 50 years in the Northeast region, particularly in Assam. The Assam state government under the leadership of CM Sarbananda Sonowal also did stupendous work and I am sure people in Assam will duly reward the BJP.

Q: CAA-NRC is one the most sensitive issues in Assam. In fact, we witnessed violent protests in this part of the country. Do you think this issue is going to be a crucial factor in the elections?

India recorded a new high of 59,118 new Covid-19 cases on Friday morning, taking its total tally to 1,18,46,652 infections.

In light of the rapid surge in cases, the government’s nationwide Covid vaccination campaign will be widened in the “near future” to include people from more age groups, announced Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Friday. Currently, the program is restricted to people aged above 45 years.

This news comes as official Health Ministry data shows prominent second waves of the infection in six states—Maharashtra, Punjab, Kerala, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat.

Maharashtra reported 36,902 new coronavirus cases on Friday evening, the highest one-day rise so far, taking its tally to 26,37,735. The state’s death toll reached 53,907 with 112 fatalities, according to the health department. Given the steady rise in cases, the state is imposing a night curfew from 28 March. The Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Department will issue a separate order in this regard, said the Chief Minister’s office. Maharashtra alone contributes to almost 62 percent of the cases in India.

Gujarat reported 2,190 new cases, the highest daily rise so far, which took its caseload to 2,96,320, the health department said. For the first time since the pandemic began, the one-day rise in cases crossed the 2,000-mark in the state. Six deaths during the day pushed the toll to 4,479, officials said.

Kerala reported 1,825 new Covid-19 cases and 14 deaths on Friday. The active caseload dropped to 24,274 even as the toll reached 4,553. At 262, Kozhikode reported the highest number of cases, followed by Kannur at 245 and Kollam at 173.

The coronavirus graph continued its upward trend in Tamil Nadu as well. The state logged 1,971 cases and nine fatalities, pushing the caseload to 8,75,190 and the toll to 12,650, the health department said.

Madhya Pradesh on Friday reported 2,091 new Covid-19 cases, taking its tally to 2,84,265, while nine deaths increased the toll to 3,937, a health official said. As many as 1,048 people were discharged from hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the count of recoveries in Madhya Pradesh to 2,68,290, he added.

Goa’s coronavirus caseload went up by 113 and reached 57,283 on Friday, while the number of deaths increased by one and the recovery count by 111, an official said. So far, 823 people have died of the infection and 55,181 have been discharged, leaving the state with an active caseload of 1,279, he added.

Uttar Pradesh recorded over 1,000 fresh cases after a period of three months, while the death toll rose to 8,779 on Friday with six more fatalities, an official said. At present, there are 5,824 active cases, of which 3,383 are under home isolation, Additional Chief Secretary (Health) Amit Mohan Prasad said.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 210 new Covid-19 cases on Friday, including 57 travellers, taking the infection tally to 1,29,413, while one more fatality pushed the death toll in the Union Territory to 1,984, officials said. 41 of the new cases were from the Jammu division and 169 from the Kashmir division, they said.

Three coronavirus-related deaths and 853 positive cases were reported in Rajasthan on Friday, taking the total fatalities to 2,811 and the caseload to 3,28,743, respectively, the state health bulletin showed. The deaths occurred in Pratapgarh, Rajsamand and Ajmer (one each) while the maximum number of fresh cases were reported in Jaipur where 140 persons tested positive for the virus.

The upward spiral of coronavirus cases in Andhra Pradesh also continued, with the gross inching towards the 9 lakh-mark, as 984 positives were added afresh on Friday. This was the highest increase in cases in a day after four months, which took the overall to 8,96,863 from a total of 1.49 crore tests, at an overall rate of 6.01 percent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing the National Day event in Dhaka, said both India and Bangladesh should remain united and vigilant to counter the terrorism in the region.

“We must remember that we have similar opportunities in the fields of trade and commerce, but at the same time, we have similar threats like terrorism. The ideas and powers behind such types of inhumane acts are still active. We must remain vigilant and united to counter them,” said Modi.

PM Modi also said that both nations have the power of democracy and a vision for the future, and it is necessary for the region the two countries progress together. “That is why Indian and Bangladeshi governments are making meaningful efforts in this direction,” he said.

The Indian Prime Minister has embarked on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, his first foreign diplomatic visit since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out last year. Over the two days, the PM is set to hold talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, and will also participate in celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the nation’s independence and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s 100th birth anniversary.

During his visit, the Prime Minister also handed over the Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s younger daughter. “It is a matter of pride for Indians that we got the opportunity to honour Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with the Gandhi Peace Prize. I also salute the brave soldiers of the Indian Army who stood with the brothers and sisters of Bangladesh in the ‘Muktijuddho’ (Liberation War). I am happy to see them present at this event today,” he added.

“We will never forget the sacrifice the soldiers of this great nation have made and also those by Indians who stood beside the soldiers of Bangladesh…we have not forgotten their bravery and courage…. we will never forget it,” PM Modi added as he honoured the contribution of the Indian Army in Bangladesh’s 1971 freedom war.

PM Modi also remembered his part in the freedom movement for Bangladesh and said that it had been one of the first protests of his political career. “The freedom struggle of Bangladesh was a significant moment in my journey too… My colleagues and I had done a satyagraha in India… I was in my early twenties. I even had the opportunity to go to jail during this satyagraha for Bangladesh’s struggle for freedom,” he said.

Wearing a “Mujib Jacket” as a tribute to Bangladesh’s Father of the Nation, PM Modi attended the National Day ceremony with the country’s President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka.

Hasina thanked Prime Minister Modi for being a part of the event amid the pandemic and said that India is one of Bangladesh’s best development partners. Earlier on Friday, she had welcomed the Indian Prime Minister with a bouquet of flowers and a guard of honour when he arrived at the Dhaka Airport.

“A special visit begins with a special gesture. PM Sheikh Hasina welcomes PM @narendramodi at Dhaka airport,” tweeted Prime Minister›s Office (PMO).

The Prime Minister also held talks with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen in the Dhaka.

However, his visit has triggered protests in some parts of the country. Four people were killed in clashes in Chittagong during a protest by members of Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, an Islamist group opposed to the visit of Modi, who critics say has been pushing a Hindu-first agenda in India.

Mohammad Alauddin, a police official in Chittagong, said that eight people were brought to a hospital in the city with gunshot wounds, of which four succumbed to their injuries. “We had to fire teargas and rubber bullets to disperse them as they entered a police station and carried out extensive vandalism,” Rafiqul Islam, the police official, told Reuters, referring to the protesters.

NewsX was recently joined by 5 young leaders from the Global Youth organization to share their vision of the country, they talked of their expectations, hope and idea for the country. The youth of the country is the future of the country and hence, their opinions and ideas must be paid heed to. Therefore, NewsX invited these young leaders to put their ideas in front of the viewers.

The first panellist for the session was Prathit Singh, a first-year student of Political Science from Ramjas College, University of Delhi. An aspiring researcher,  child right activist and a published poet, Prathit has been strongly advocating for young people to step up their efforts in voicing for social causes. Hailing from Calcutta India, he has represented India at global summits such as SAARC and ASEAN and is currently working for the office of the UN Secretary General’s representative on violence against children on the Covid-under 19 project as an advocate and data analyst. Talking about his journey and the advocacy work that he has been doing, he said “I identify myself as a Youth advocate in the field of children’s right. I have been drawn towards this field since my high-school years. I really believe in advocating for the cause of children who are being exploited and whose rights are being infringed around the globe. I realized that I want to do something and need to step beyond my classroom walls to pursue the same. That’s when I got to work with an organization called ‘International Justice Mission’ which was working in this field’’.

Speaking about the role of Global Youth in bolstering such advocacy endeavours, Prathit stated ‘’My journey with Global Youth began in college when I joined the chapter and I was particularly attracted to join this when I found about the kind of work Global Youth has been advocating for especially in my field of work.  I think that the unawareness remained because young people were not being able to step for the cause, Global Youth provides a platform for young people to connect over issues of international concerns and to have a discourse around the same’’ When asked about his future goals, Prathit said that he would like to pursue diplomacy and wants to be changemaker who is able to influence the society and to bring out the potential of young people. ‘’I want to show what an ideal world it would be,  where young people are included, and every child has a future’’  Prathit added.

Next was Uttara Jantwal, a 2nd-year undergraduate student in history from Lady Shriram College for women. She is a feminist at heart, an avid debater with a profound interest in diplomacy, public policy, geopolitical development, and human rights. She is passionate about environmental activism and hopes to contribute to the causes that need people to preach their narrative. She is from Nanital.

Speaking about the idea and joining of Global Youth, Uttara Jantwal said, “I joined Global Youth in the hope that I could engage in something meaningful, apart from academics. Global youth for me has been basically embarking on a journey of self-growth and also an opportunity to explore the vast sea of international relations with a better understanding. It provided me and continues to provide students with a platform where we engage in social, political, economic dialogue and it is the place where I realized that your opinions matter. It is a shared space where you learn while also finding comfort in the company of others that are your age. It also gave me the ability to both learn and develop at the same time and I am really grateful for it.”

When asked about her personal growth from the time she joined Global Youth, she said, “My very first event with global youth was quite encouraging and that pushed me to join more session, go for more forums and despite the fact that all the activities this time have been done online due to the pandemic, the events have been fantastic and enjoyable and I think all of us learning a lot.”

“Climate change and environmental degradation are the most pressing issue confronting us today and I think there is no exaggeration to suggest that the ugly jaws of climate change and environmental degradation are already upon us. They are ready to reward us. These global threats cannot be avoided by anyone but here`s the thing it is no longer acceptable for us young people to be passive victims and the world`s youth must take action,” She shared her opinion on a particular problem she wishes to resolve.

Later she also added, “We need to think in terms of generations rather than weeks years, or decades and our current action or inaction would have a huge effect on our lives in the future. What I see is youth is willing to take the lead to meaningfully engage in platforms related to the protection of the environment be it at the local, national, or global level. However, to harness our talents and innovations youth must be treated as equal partners and torchbearers, as a matter of fact, there should be no discussion of the future of the generation without us all sitting at the same table”.

When asked about where she sees herself in the next 5 years, she commented, “I am not one to say where I would be in the coming years. I am just hoping it is a place where I can make difference. I continue to keep my best foot forward and grab opportunities that come my way so you never know where it might lead me but probably working in the field of history would be a great place for me”.

Iqra Khan is a 2nd-year student pursuing Political Science Major from Lady Shri Ram College for Women. She is the Content Head of the India Germany Youth Forum and has always been interested in this discipline when her research thesis has been published in ISBF, an Australian Journal. She had represented her city which made her realize the love for social work. She believes that change can be brought by little steps. “I joined Global Youth because it gives one the platform to deliberate on the pressing issues of today. It has been two years and I have been serving as the content head for a while now and have represented various student panels. I believe it as an organization has offered me exposure in shaping my views. It has played a huge role in contributing towards the future goals that I hold by instilling the belief in me that no voice is small and no views are very tangent. Perhaps demanding change is an essential right”.  

When asked about the issues that concern her, she added that youth only comprise one-fifth of the country’s total population. She adds, “ The political scenario of the country is facing an acute shortage of enthusiasm, vigour and energy. The youth of our country is achieving milestones in every sphere of life and emerging as leaders. Then why is the percentage so low in political leadership and mobilization? The younger politicians understand what the youth of India need and what their aspirations are. Political parties should provide space for such leaders to grow. Today’s youth need opportunities to participate in politics”.  She also shared her idea of how this problem of youth participation can be solved. She stated, “We need contributions from the elected and the electoral. Until the communication would not bridge together, differences would arise. There is a practical solution for the reservation of quota seats for young people. Only when accountability comes in, then change will be fueled. I have been interning with various policies and think tanks and I have written various research thesis. I have written from India-China cooperation to recent issues such as women vote in India” She emphasizes how Global Youth as a platform has made her confident and “ we as a youth, when we take responsibility, start taking action, we are involving ourselves in the larger process”. 

Lavanya B is a 3rd-year student pursuing History Honors. When asked about the journey with Global Youth, she said, “ I joined Global Youth a year ago which has helped me develop my personal skills and my knowledge about International Relations has put me in touch with a lot of dignitaries” She also highlighted that the pressing issue today is that of identities and highlights the paradigm of identity politics. “It started with the Civil Rights in America and identity politics has undergone cancerous mutations, where we have adopted one common enemy. Lot of people believe that feminists believe that they are anti-men movements which is not the case. Feminists are advocating for equal footing with men across gender lines but many are misinterpreting it as the cornering of men. We have to work towards cooperation”. The practical solution lies in addressing the issue of misinformation and educating people,  she believes. She espouses, “Women in India are not a homogeneous group. Global Youth brings people from diverse backgrounds and puts them on an equal footing, giving them a platform to pitch in their ideas and to come to a sustainable and workable solution”. 

Anupam Miheer, a 2nd-year student pursuing BBA from Bhubaneswar. “I joined the Indian Sri Lanka Forum and saw how diverse the whole group is. For Women’s Day, we had planned collaboration with the New Zealand forum. My leadership skills grew and I learned how to manage events”. Anupam believes that economic instability is the biggest challenge that has been experienced by India. He adds, “ Youth can revitalize the whole economy. When the pandemic hit India, its youth spent 90% of the internet on entertainment whereas youth of other countries spent it on the development of soft skills and vocational training. The earning youth who are earning and paying taxes to fall under the age group of 25 to 35 are upskilled and have the required vocational training. Since we are a country that is majorly dependent on agriculture, produce and export, we need to have innovation in that field and utilize it to maximize use.”  The solution to this problem lies in the paradigm shift of the Indian education system as well as that of job patterns, pointed out by Anupam. “The rural education centre lacks quality Online grocery has been significant and has increased during the lockdown. Covid 19 has created a shift in youth employability which is, in turn, going to help in revamping the economy”. He even shared the business idea that he had. “We are working on combining the medical world with the hospital industry. An app will tell you which hospital is best for treating the problem and whether there are beds available and if there are no beds available, an alternate hospital will be suggested”. 

One Shared World, on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22, presented a captivating session titled WASHPAP on ”Water and sanitation for all: The fight against pandemics.” The session witnessed lawmakers, activists, and leaders from different countries and backgrounds come together at a single platform to address several issues that are prevalent in the world today and pledged towards working on a solution.

Jamie Metzl, founder and Chair  of ‘One Shared World’, Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, Shah Chaudhary, President of Footsteps, Bangladesh and Jack Sim, founder of World Toilet Organisation joined the panel. In his opening statement, Jamie Metzl shared the vision of One Shared World and said, ”This is a part of our ‘rise and fall together’ speaker series, where we are exploring not just the great challenges of this moment but also how we can come together as a world to solve these issues”.

He further talked about how the organisation as a whole currently stands at a civilisational-turning point somewhat equivalent to 1918, ”One path forward is the path of exclusion, i.e wall building while the other is of inclusion i.e building bridges, only that second path can allow your species and all of us to thrive. that’s what we at One Shared World and the communities within it is all about,’ he added.

Formed in the earlier days of the pandemic, One Shared World initially aimed at solving issues of the pandemic but later realised that there are these the broader issues, which might have led to a pandemic situation like this. The organisation now aims at building a new framework for global collaboration and problem-solving. It also focuses on the importance of inter-dependence and how this approach can bring the communities together to tackle a global problem that affects people of each and every country in the world.

Talking about the need to have a global approach to solve these pressing issues, Jamie asserted, ‘Addressing the urgent needs of the world’s most vulnerable populations is not and can not be seen as just charity. It can not be seen as wealthier people helping the poor people. That’s not the right framework. Rather, it must be seen as it is and the best we can do is come together for building a safer world for everyone”.

Explaining the term WASHPAP, Jamie said that the word is a compound acronym connecting – Wash, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, where PAP stands for Essential protection, and WASHPAP as a whole is described as an initiative that can be a smart investment to protect our planet from the pandemic and eliminate the possibilities of any future pandemics which may occur. WASHPAP campaign is focused on addressing the issue at every level. An outline plan has been developed by One Shared World where the target is to provide access to sanitation and pure drinking water to as many communities and countries as possible by the year 2030. The campaign #ShareTheWater has been actively running on social media platforms to educate, empower and encourage people to play their part.

Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, former minister for Commerce and the current leader, sherpa of the G20 Summit  joined in the conversation as a guest speaker and spoke about the contributions made by his government and the current initiatives that are being undertaken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He talked about several policies that have been brought under Mr. Modi’s leadership in the past several years which focus on sanitation, drinking water as well as different policies that have been implemented in India which are directed towards educating people and providing them with the necessary resources. When asked about the G20 summit, Mr. Suresh stated, ”We are at the final stage of ensuring the agenda that will be discussed at the G20 summit this year, We the G20 constitutes of 86% of the population, it doesn’t give us power rather it puts us at a position of responsibility and accountability. being a strong nation means, it has to take care of those who are vulnerable.”

Mr. Shah Chaudhary, President of Footsteps, an organisation based out of Bangladesh, further pressed on the need to address the sanitisation issue in Bangladesh. He said, ”Access to Sanitation is a very big issue in Bangladesh, especially in the coastal region. With more refugees coming in from Myanmar, the problem has increased further and this is what the latrine project is trying to address. Our goal is to build various sanitation facilities along the entire coastal belt of Bangladesh so that everyone can be benefitted from this project”.

Mr. Shah has been administering sanitation facilities in certain areas of Bangladesh, especially at the refugee camps to ensure that water, sanitation, and healthcare facilities could be provided to those people residing alongside border areas. His initiative called ‘The Latrine Project’ aims to build over 500 sanitation systems along the coastal belt. currently, around 200 families are benefitting from the project.

Mr. Jack Sim, founder of  World Toilet Organisation, further shared his experience of how he left his business twenty years ago to work as a volunteer in several organisations. With his venture, he is only not solve the issues at an individual level but has also created a platform for different cultures to come forward and be a part of the solution. ”I was troubled when the organisation that I was working in used to call sanitation problem a water agenda. I said we have to decouple it and give sanitation its own centre stage for it to be addressed as a separate issue. The media publishes our work and through its viewership, we are now connected to 2-3 billion people across the world,” Mr. Zack stated.

Abhishek Singh, an IAS officer-turned-actor, recently joined NewsX for a conversation as part of its NewsX India A-List. He spoke about the talent show he is planning for policemen and explained how he became an actor being an IAS.

All set to make his acting debut in Delhi Crime Season 2, Abhishek also shared about how he got the part. He said, “Mukesh Chhabra introduced me to a few people who were making this web series on Netflix called Delhi Crime Season 2. He said, ‘why don’t you brief them regarding the police administration, they would like to hear your views.’ I was briefing them and somebody from the team asked me, ‘what experience do you have in acting?’ I replied, I’m not an actor, I’m Deputy Commissioner. They were surprised. They said, ‘we did not think that we will be getting to meet a Deputy Commissioner in Mukesh Chhabra’s office.’ Nevertheless, then they said that they have a role in their mind of an IAS officer and my body language suits the role. They asked, ‘Would you like to get into acting?’”

Talking about revamping of Bandra police station, Abhishek said, “It so happened that I met Suzanne in one of the events and mentioned that I’m planning a talent show. She said that why don’t I do something else also in the same name. When I asked her, Suzanne said that she had gone to Bandra police station for some work and found a building to be not in very good condition. Suzanne said that she would like to do something for the police station and since I’m an interior designer so if I could help her, then together we’ll be able to do something. That’s how it all started. We picked Bandra police station and thought of revamping it. She is doing it free of cost.”

When asked about one of his initiatives, the talent show ‘World of Wardi’, he shared, “All these policemen, who will be of the rank of constables and head constables, will be given a chance to showcase their talent and it will be a kind of reality show. They will showcase their talent, few judges from the music industry will be there and the audience will also be judging them. They will be selecting the top 10 best talents of the country and then we will be providing them with a platform where they can get to sing in the movies or get their albums released. The idea is that the talent which is there in our country should not be wasted. Even if someone is in the police force, it doesn’t mean he can’t have a hobby or not pursue it.”

In the concluding remarks, Abhishek said, “You should follow their heart. If you are determined to do something, you will be able to do it no matter what, nobody is going to stop you. The only limits that you have are in your mind. Think free, be free, hardworking, and focused.”