The RSS doesn’t run the BJP, the BJP runs the BJP

Sunday , 10 August '08

Senior RSS leader Madan Das Devi is of the opinion that the current agitation in Jammu is not political in nature and it is the involvement of a large section of people that has pressurised the administration. In this Idea Exchange, moderated by Senior Editor, Politics, Vandita Mishra, he talks about the RSS’ relationship with the BJP, uniform civil code, and UP politics

‘In 2005, we asked the Left partners to reconsider our support to the Government. But they said no’

Sunday , 3 August '08

Abani Roy, Rajya Sabha MP of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, is of the opinion that had the Left taken its decision to withdraw support in November 2007, it would have been impossible for the UPA to win the trust vote. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Special Correspondent Suman K Jha, the veteran Communist leader talks about the RSP’s relationship with the CPI(M), political scenario in West Bengal, and why Left unity is a must in order to reach out to the Hindi-speaking belt

‘We had the numbers, we were sure of a win, but there was some anxiety’

Sunday , 27 July '08

Hailing from the Communist bastion of Vayalar in Kerala, Vayalar Ravi was first elected to the Lok Sabha in 1971. In 2006, he became Cabinet Minister for Overseas Affairs. Durings last week’s trust vote, as the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, he played a crucial role in gathering the numbers for the UPA. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Executive Editor Unni Rajen Shanker, he talks about horse-trading and what happened in Parliament on that day

"I just make films..."

Sunday , 20 July '08

With four decades of film-making behind him, Adoor Gopalakrishnan has given Indian cinema a number of wonderful films - from Swayamvaram to his latest Naalu Pennungal. He has been awarded the Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke awards, and is also the best-known Indian film-maker abroad after Satyajit Ray. In this Idea Exchange moderated by Executive Editor Unni Rajen Shanker, he talks about why he terms all his films as commercial, the fact that his films are about Kerala, his home state, and how films reflect the changing times

"All Government decisions are taken by Sukhbir Badal and his father merely puts his stamp wherever required"

Sunday , 13 July '08

Captain Amarinder Singh is a man who has donned many hats. As a member of the royal family, a soldier, an Akali politician, a president of state Congress unit, a chief minister, and an author on military and Sikh history, he claims to have seen and understood Punjab in all its myriad forms. He had an interaction with the staff members of The Indian Express at Chandigarh. Resident Editor Vipin Pubby moderated the discussion

"The differences are too deep-rooted for the Congress and the BJP to engage in a constructive dialogue, though it would be an ideal situation"

Sunday , 6 July '08

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan and BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad are both known not to mince words when it comes to taking stand on issues pertaining to their respective ideologies. In this Idea Exchange, moderated by Contributing Editor Coomi Kapoor, Natarajan and Prasad share their views on the Congress’ new-found ally, Samajwadi Party, the nuclear deal and Amarnath Shrine Board, among others

"Worst thing written about me? That I have got married"

Sunday , 29 June '08

It’s been only a little more than a decade since she made her debut, but within that short span of time Rani Mukerji has created a niche for herself. While her popularity rests on films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Bunty aur Babli, it’s films like Black, Yuva, Saathiya that brought her critical acclaim and awards. In this Idea Exchange at our Mumbai office, moderated by Senior Assistant Editor Harneet Singh, Rani talks about gossips, Black, and her latest flick, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic

‘We are not here to do free business’

Sunday , 22 June '08

Closely associated with the oil sector deregulation and formulation of the regulatory bill for the downstream sector, Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Sarthak Behuria has more than three decades of experience in the field of refining and marketing. His company is one with staggering numbers: Rs 2,25,000 crore in revenues, 30,000 employees, 18,000-odd petrol pumps. In this Idea Exchange, moderated by P Vaidyanathan Iyer, Business Editor, The Indian Express, he discusses hike in oil prices, government subsidies and why Indian Oil Corporation is almost broke

The message is reforms can succeed if you take everybody along with you and if you have broadened the axis

Sunday , 15 June '08

Raghuram Rajan is Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Business, University of Chicago. Between 2003-07, he was Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund. He is the youngest individual to hold the position and the first person of Indian origin chosen to do so. He is co-author of the book, Saving Capitalism from the Capitalists. In this interaction with Express staffers, moderated by Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Resident Editor of Financial Express, Rajan discusses among other subjects, fuel prices and inflation, subsidies and loan waivers, inclusive economic reforms and how the poor can be helped to help themselves

‘Baba brand proved tough for them (MNCs) . . . they came and said Baba, spare us and join hands with us’

Sunday , 8 June '08

Swami Ramdev has taken yoga to the masses with his easy regimen of some simple asanas and pranayams that anyone can practise. Several people swear that his brand of yoga has cured them of asthma, hypertension, and lifestyle ailments. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Assistant Editor S.B. Easwaran, Swami Ramdev speaks about his claims of curing AIDS, his opposition to MNCs, and the questions raised about medicines sold by his ayurvedic firm

‘Nobody will trade minister’s post for party post. The power of a minister to dispense favour and amass wealth is immense’

Sunday , 1 June '08

Prithviraj Chavan, Union Minister of State in the PMO, is a graduate from BITS, Pilani, and has a masters from Berkeley. He is the Congress general-secretary in charge of Arunachal, Sikkim, Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, and Karnataka, where the party was recently drubbed in the Assembly elections. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Editor (ENS) Shishir Gupta, he speaks about what the Congress learnt from the Karnataka loss, taking reforms further, and the general elections ahead

‘The era of big dams is over. We must have small dams, recharge ground water, harvest rain water’

Sunday , 25 May '08

Union Minister for Water Resources Saifuddin Soz holds a very important charge, and his ministry is trying to tackle the problem of depleting ground water with a Central legislation. In an interaction with Express staff moderated by Senior Editor Sonu Jain, he talks about the plan to link important rivers, flood management, agriculture and food security, and the problems of his native Kashmir

‘We have autonomous regulators, but there is limited oversight...we don’t ask them questions we should’

Sunday , 18 May '08

FICCI president and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar trained as an engineer, designed chips for Intel and, in the early 1990s, led the telecom revolution in India. He runs Jupiter Capital, a venture development, management, and investment company, and also has interests in media, in which he is building the Asianet and Indigo brands. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by National Business Editor P. Vaidyanathan Iyer, Chandrasekhar spoke about inflation, cartelisation, the role of regulators, and about what he has learnt in politics

‘New media doesn’t break stories. It draws on content of old media. I place highest value on breaking stories’

Sunday , 11 May '08

Joseph Lelyveld, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, was executive editor of The New York Times from 1994 to 2001, and was recalled to the newspaper in 2003, after a period during which it went through a credibility crisis. He has reported from India from 1966 to 1969. He is now working on a book on Mahatma Gandhi’s years in South Africa. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Senior Editor Mini Kapoor, Lelyveld talks about American politics, reporting, and new trends in the media

‘State Govts have no autonomy, Centre should simply grant funds and leave spending to states’

Sunday , 4 May '08

Sukhbir Badal’s elevation as president of Shiromani Akali Dal is being viewed as a precursor to his becoming chief minister of Punjab. But Badal says the post shall remain with his father. In an interaction with Express staff in Chandigarh, moderated by Resident Editor (Chandigarh) Vipin Pubby, Sukhbir Badal talks about lineage, Capt Amarinder Singh, more autonomy for states, his plans for Punjab, and his own party

‘HP has Rs 1,50,000 cr in forest wealth, yet we are in debt. We should be compensated for our forests’

Sunday , 27 April '08

P.K. Dhumal, the 16th chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, began his political career with the Bharatiya Yuva Morcha in the 1980s and has thrice been an MP. He has recently launched an Atal Bijli Yojna in his state, under which every consumer will get four CFL lamps. The idea is that the eventually the state will end up saving 100 MW, which means the Rs 80 crore invested in the project will be repaid. He also intends to revive micro-hydel projects and attract industry so that the state becomes economically viable. In an interaction moderated by ENS National Editor Shishir Gupta, Dhumal shared his plans for the state ...

‘The question is whether India’s dynamism of economic growth is matched by equivalent dynamism in political extroversion’

Sunday , 20 April '08

Is India a sleeping giant, a rising power, or a great global power? How does it compare or compete with China? Are Pakistan and Afghanistan flashpoints in Asia? Is there any solution to the China-Tibet stand-off? Does international business now decide diplomacy? Is nuclear non-proliferation still relevant? These are some of the questions put to Dr John Chipman, Director-General and Chief Executive of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), London, at an interaction with Express staffers in New Delhi. The IISS is currently holding its first annual conference in New Delhi. The interaction was moderated by Chief of National B...

‘There are many stars, few actors and fewer brands. I am happy to qualify for the last two’

Sunday , 13 April '08

She’s better known as Tulsi, the idolised and ideal bahu of the top-rated TV soap, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, on Star Plus. However, Smriti Irani is the sum of many other parts: she’s a TV producer, a scriptwriter, a TV reality show host, and an active member of the BJP. And after a hiatus, she’s back where she belongs—in the Virani household. At an interaction with the Express staffers, held at the picturesque Express Towers in Mumbai, Irani was frank in her views on many subjects, including TV soaps, mediocrity on television, Hindutva and Raj Thackeray’s attack on ‘outsiders’. The session was moderated by ...

‘There’s no single area you can clamp down on to curb inflation. You have to use many measures’

Sunday , 6 April '08

Deepak Parekh, chairman of HDFC, has through his organisation made it possible for a many in the middle-class to own houses. He’s also a man the government hears out on matters of finance, land regulation, and the economy. In an interaction with Express staff, moderated by Contributing Editor Ila Patnaik, Parekh talks about the current problems created by a high inflation rate and the current downturn in world economy and its effects on India