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Balbir, Dhyan Chand: titans denied
Digital Issue
www.outlookindia.com June 15, 2020
Can
India
Become
China 2.0?
As Beijing faces a global
backlash, India can emerge as
the next factory to the world
R N I N O. 7 0 4 4 / 1961
‹ Navigator›
EDITOR-in-chief Ruben Banerjee
managing EDITOR Sunil Menon
Executive Editor Satish Padmanabhan
Foreign Editor Pranay Sharma
Political EDITOR Bhavna Vij-Aurora
Senior editor Giridhar Jha (Mumbai)
Chief art Director Deepak Sharma
Writers Lola Nayar, Qaiser Mohammad
Ali (Senior Associate Editors), G.C. Shekhar
(Associate Editor), Jeevan Prakash Sharma (Senior
Assistant Editor), Ajay Sukumaran, Puneet
Nicholas Yadav, Jyotika Sood, Lachmi Deb Roy
(Assistant Editors),
Naseer Ganai (Senior Special Correspondent),
Preetha Nair (Special
Correspondent), Salik Ahmad (Senior
Correspondent)
copy Desk Rituparna Kakoty (Senior Associate
Editor), Anupam Bordoloi, Saikat Niyogi,
Satyadeep (Associate Editors),
Syed Saad Ahmed (Assistant Editor)
Photographers S. Rakshit (Chief Photo
Coordinator), Jitender Gupta (Photo Editor),
Tribhuvan Tiwari (Deputy Photo Editor),
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(Sr Photographers), Suresh Kumar Pandey (Staff
Photographer) J.S. Adhikari (Sr Photo Researcher),
U. Suresh Kumar (Digital Library)
design Saji C.S. (Chief Designer),
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Devi Prasad, Padam Gupta (Sr DTP Operators)
Digital Neha Mahajan (Associate Editor),
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Correspondent), Neelav Chakravarti (Senior
Correspondent), Charupadma Pati (Trainee
Journalist), Suraj Wadhwa (Chief
Graphic Designer),
Editorial Manager & Chief Librarian Alka Gupta
BUSINESS OFFICE
Chief Executive officer Indranil Roy
Publisher Sandip Kumar Ghosh
SR Vice president Meenakshi Akash
Vice presidents Shrutika Dewan,
20
Diwan Singh Bisht
Sr General Managers Kabir Khattar (Corp),
Debabani Tagore, Shailender Vohra
COVER STORY
General ManagerS Sasidharan Kollery,
Shashank Dixit The pandemic has made countries wary of relying
Chief Manager Shekhar Kumar Pandey
MANAGERS Shekhar Suvarana, Sudha Sharma solely on China, the ‘factory of the world’. As global
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Anindya
Banerjee, Gagan Kohli, G. Ramesh (South), supply chains lie battered, can India be a viable
Vinod Kumar (North), Arun Kumar Jha (East)
Digital Amit Mishra manufacturing alternative? We explore India’s
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RAKHIGARHI RIDDLE WHAT DOES THE DNA TELL US?
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Letters feedback › outlook@outlookindia.com
8/6/2020
striking photo-ops, but doesn’t
have many takers. On the con-
trary, it adds to the growing
popularity of Modi as the over-
all narrative still lies with him
despite his apparent failures.
GURGAON
Kamna Chhabra: The tragic
tales of migrants returning
home, with some not even
making it, have been rightly
juxtaposed with the abysmal
failure of the state in owning
up to its responsibility for to light, but also tracing them
their safe passage. What takes in their native places to let the
the cake is the complete readers know that their ordeal
absence of foresight, botched is far from over. Despite negli-
planning, thoughtless execu- gible livelihood avenues, most
tion and lack of coordination migrants would rather eke out
between the Centre and states a living in their hometowns
while dealing with the exodus rather than a government
of the labour force. Kudos to machinery that turned its back
the Outlook team for not just on them during an extremely
bringing their painful journeys difficult time.
d i g i m a g . o u t lo o k i n d i a . c o m
Despair and
Drudgery From the Daak Room
KANNUR
Kanak R. Nambiar: This refers to your
cover story What After Home? (June 8).
yo u t u b e . c o m / o u t lo o k m a g a z i n e
The lockdown, like demonetisation, was
necessary, but the implementation of both
was ruthless and ill-conceived—there was
no proper planning nor consultation with
stakeholders. India is a diverse country in
terms of cultures, incomes and population
density. Yet, policymakers failed to realise
the enormity of resources needed to keep
millions of poor people in lockdown for
fac e b o o k . c o m / o u t lo o k i n d i a
weeks. Shramik trains and chartered buses
with proper social distancing norms from
the first day of the lockdown could have
eased the pain of millions of migrant work-
ers. The implementation and effectiveness
of the lockdown can be endlessly debated, Current Affair This message in a bottle was consigned to the
but the fact remains that it brought misery sea on Chinese Valentine’s Day, the seventh day of the seventh
and suffering to poor people.
t w i t t e r . c o m / o u t lo o k i n d i a
lunar month, in 2012. A lady and her daughter found the bottle
at Portobello Beach in Scotland. It is not known if the bottle
ON E-MAIL was dropped in the sea near China, from where it would have to
Vijai Pant: A pandemic is not the best time travel thousands of kilometres with oceanic currents to reach
to engage in political brinkmanship, but the Scotland, or somewhere closer.
Gandhi scions don’t think so. Their show of
empathy for migrants may make for
00 o u tlook4| may
outlook | june 1 5 , 2020
4, 2020
Letters
| picture: getty images |
News / sluggg/subslug feedback › outlook@outlookindia.com
LUCKNOW
M.C. Joshi: This refers to
the cover story The Gulf
Boomerang (May 25). The
reverse migration of
Indians from Gulf is
nowhere close to the mass
reverse migration of daily
bread earners from Indian
cities to their native places.
After the bitter experience,
these migrants are unlikely
to go back to their former
workplaces. Governments
would have to generate
work for them where they
are and industries will face
a shortage of manpower.
Will our governments be
able to address this issue?
GOA
M.N. Bhartiya: Indians
have been toiling in the Gulf
for decades, but all of a sud- Know Our Kids? (May 25). they like to call themselves NEW DELHI
den, found themselves with- The BoisLockerRoom inci- even if they are senior Abhimanyu K.: This refers
out salaries or social security dent affirms the disturbing citizens) cracking jokes to your cover story The Flu
support to sustain them- truth that rape culture be- about women and bragging Shot. As the world watches
selves. In these circum- gins early. Even though the about their real and COVID-19 cripple econo-
stances, they were left with digital world has taken over imagined romantic liaisons, mies all over, India is more
no alternative except to rush our lives, it may not be the peppered, of course, with than breathless. A deep slow-
back at the earliest opportu- only reason for our children indecent fantasies and down is inevitable—this is
nity. It has not happened in going awry. We need to anecdotes. A sense of enti- one crisis that just can’t be
countries like Canada and understand that it is the tlement spurs them to talk shoved aside. The number of
Australia, where Indians are ethos at home that has the irresponsibly. Such atti- deaths in India have been
in more paying professions most abiding influence on tudes stem from deep patri- beguilingly low. There are
and get social security and children. Boys from homes archy and colour our many hypotheses offered by
dignity. Within India too, mi- with gender parity are less children’s minds. Coupled way of explanation, but mere
grant labourers are rushing likely to be brutal to women with this are the pressures common sense is enough to
back in hordes from vis-a-vis those where of modern life, which impact see that all is not well. To add
Maharashtra, Punjab and misogyny is the norm. It is parent-child relationships. to our troubles, we know that
other states. Such a reverse not uncommon to see a Dear fellow parents, it’s time it is not just the COVID-19
trend is not visible in states group of boys (that is what we led by example! outbreak that caught our
like Kerala, Uttarakhand and economy by surprise. It was
Himachal Pradesh. It is re- already gasping for breath,
ported that the migrants in but with the pandemic, it is
these states have been paid in the emergency room.
their dues and not asked to Considering the magnitude
go home. Their needs are of the mess we are in, we
being taken care of during need to act urgently. The Rs
the lockdown. Workers can- 20-lakh-crore package has a
not be treated like cogs in a long-term horizon and is not
machine for the benefit of likely to provide succour to
their employers. the vulnerable who have lost
their jobs and wages. This
NEW DELHI period will go down in history
Sangeeta Kampani: This for how monumentally we
refers to Do We Really failed the underprivileged.
O u t l oo k i n d i a . c o m ne41, 52, 022002 0| o| uou
jmuay t look0 5
t look 0
The
News
Dead
Xihu’s The blown-out
well at Baghjan
A pregnant wild elephant in Kerala’s
Tears in Assam’s
Tinsukia district
Pa r tha S a r athi D as
Silent Valley Forest died of human cru- Oil India’s gas well blowout continuous leakage of gas and oil. It
elty after someone offered her a pine- in Assam puts people, wildlife, has already spread to the rice fields.
apple filled with powerful firecrackers. Domestic animals have suffered too,”
forests, waterbodies in danger says Nirantar Gohain, an eco-cam-
It exploded in her mouth and her jaws
paigner from the area.
broke. She was found standing in the
Abdul Gani in Guwahati The rain has triggered runoffs to the
Velliyar river in Malappuram district on
ponds and streams, and oil slicks are
T
May 27 and died hours later. The culprit visible in several areas. “We have seen
hasn’t been identified. he air has a sulfuric stench to it, a dead xihu (dolphin in Assamese) and
smells like a stew of rotten eggs fishes. The loud hissing sound is scar-
and petrol. The air is also thick ing off birds in the forests,” Gohain
with choicest cuss words—an unapolo- says. He fears a larger environmental
getic assault on Oil India Ltd for its disaster if the leaking well is not
inability to plug a gas leak after a sealed. The state forest department
blowout in a well on May 27 in eastern issued a notice to Oil India on May 29
Assam. The accident prompted over the dead fishes and dolphin, a pro-
authorities to relocate close to 2,500 tected and endangered species. CM
residents away from the site, huddle Sarbananda Sonowal has asked the
them into temporary shelters set up in pollution board chief for a report.
Manu Sharma, who was serving a
schools. Many of them reported Oil India is aware of the conse-
life term for shooting dead model
laboured breathing and headache as the quences. It has contacted three foreign
Jessica Lal in 1999, was released crude gas—shooting almost ten storeys oilfield firefighting firms—Boots and
from Tihar Jail after Delhi Lt Governor up like a giant hissing geyser—blan- Coots, Alert, and Wild Well Control—
Anil Baijal approved his premature keted the area. The families in those to repair the damage. A notice was
release. He was convicted of killing shelters are worried about their homes, served to John Energy Pvt Ltd, the
Jessica after she refused to serve livestock, and children amid a surge in company contracted to operate the
him a drink at the Tamarind Court coronavirus cases in the state. The men well. Oil India warned of “action”
restaurant in south Delhi. are finding refuge in expletives and card against its employees if human error is
games when they are not foraging for detected. Spokesperson Tridiv Haz-
p ti firewood for the kitchen with a arika says the PSU will pay damages to
herky-jerky rain beating on the tin roof. the people for any loss of livelihood
The downpour couldn’t have come at and livestock. The blowout may raise
a more opportune time for the techni- questions about Oil India’s plan to drill
cians of Oil India working tirelessly to seven wells inside Dibru Saikhowa
contain the damage and prevent the from about 1.5 km outside the park’s
highly inflammatory gas from catching boundary. The company says it will use
fire. A fire would be the last straw given advanced technology, but citizens
The southwest monsoon, which the site’s location at Baghjan in Tin- aren’t convinced as the blowout rekin-
sukia district. It is barely 1.5 km from dled memories of past disasters. Spills
brings India’s four-month-long rainy
Dibru Saikhowa National Park—an from a pipeline burst—allegedly the
season, hit the Kerala coast on June
ecological hotspot known for its birds handiwork of crude oil thieves—had
1, its normal onset date, triggering and feral horses (fine military steed sparked a fire on a rivulet of the Burhi
heavy rain in several parts of the abandoned by the British during World Dihing river in Naharkatia this Febru-
state. North India is likely to get “above War II)—and Maguri-Motapung Beel, a ary and it burned for almost a week.
normal” rainfall, while central India and wetland on the fringes of this tree-hug- Before that, 45 days and the help of
the southern peninsula will receive ging country, where pumpjacks and Americans were needed to fully con-
“normal” rainfall. Eastern India is likely tropical rainforests fight for space. trol a well blowout in Dibrugarh
to receive less rainfall. “Things don’t look good at all with the district in 2005. O
6 o u tlo ok | june 15 , 2020
#itstimefornature
Planet
Outlook
L e c t u r e S e r i e S
ConneCting
Food Waste With Biodiversity Loss
By
TrisTram sTuarT
Award-winning author,
World Economic
Forum-Young Global
Leader and National
Geographic Emerging
Explorer
In conversation with
Ananda Banerjee, Editor, Special Projects, Outlook
Planet Outlook is our initiative to create awareness
as well as share ideas and efforts for proactive and
productive changes in policy and popular perception
for the conservation of our natural heritage.
JOiN us ON
@outlookindia @outlookmagazine
Poliglot
B h av n e e t S i n g h A u r o r a
Zeus came calling? Sort of.
Lightning and thunderstorm
from a Gurgaon balcony,
m i x e d s h o t S the resultant rain brings relief
from the end-May heat.
Snapshot pti
Jagan Jolt
Number 65
M.S. Shanker in Hyderabad
h
ere’s an instant trivia from
Andhra Pradesh. How many cases
chief minister Y.S. Jaganmohan
CM Yediyurappa Reddy’s government lost in the high
says COVID-19 is court? The answer is 65 so far—almost one
his priority now every week in one year since he became
CM in May 2019. That’s not trivial,
Cold Coffee, Reheated
actually. The legal setbacks have spurred
his critics to demand his resignation, their
attacks laced with accusations that he is
“incompetent”. Take state BJP unit chief
Ajay Sukumaran in Bangalore tion of a rebellious plot against the K.L. Narayana’s remarks: “Inexperience,
CM. But he’s been pressing for a corruption, lack of understanding,
After a COV- Rajya Sabha nomination for his adamant behaviour, Police Raj and reverse
Karnataka ID-induced brother, Ramesh, a former Lok tendering. This is the one year rule of
lull over the Sabha member who was overlooked Jagan. He is a failed CM.” Telugu Desam
past two months, Karnataka’s for a ticket in the 2019 general elec- Party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, whom
familiar political chorus was back, tions. Another voice that encour- Reddy succeeded as CM, called him the
posing a stock question. Is dissi- aged speculation was Bijapur City modern-day Tuglaq.
dence brewing in the ruling BJP? MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, a Reddy’s latest failure is his government’s
Setting it off was a group of party maverick of sorts. attempt to get rid of state election com-
legislators meeting for lunch at the “To show that they are assertive, missioner N. Ramesh Kumar
house of fellow MLA Umesh Katti. they can at least make a sound,” rea- through an ordinance fol-
Of course, there’s been little—by sons one party functionary. “But that lowing his refusal to
way of any postprandial develop- doesn’t mean there’s any instability hold rural elections
ment—to warrant concern. But, the nor that any one of them is planning amid the coronavirus
event did fuel speculation. to disrupt the government,” deputy crisis. The CM
For the record, that sort of specu- chief minister C.N. Ashwathnarayan wanted to go ahead
lation isn’t new in Karnataka— has told reporters. The Yediyurappa despite the lockdown,
back in February it was an government will complete its expecting a landslide
anonymous letter railing against remaining three years, he asserted. victory that would have
chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa The CM shrugged off questions given juice to his plan to
that did the rounds briefly getting about the episode, saying COVID- shift the state capital from
some media attention before fiz- 19 is his priority now. Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.
zling out. Even BJP functionaries At the core of the problem, points The plan is currently mired in litigation.
allow for a certain amount of rest- out political analyst A. Narayana, is The high court ordered reinstating Kumar
lessness among some party leaders that the BJP in Karnataka isn’t a who, for his part, headed straight to his of-
given the circumstances of how the coherent unit, but rather an amal- fice after the judgment while the YSRCP
government was formed last gamation of many groups. That government ran to the Supreme Court.
August with the help of those who inorganic growth—by bringing in At 47, Reddy is young by Indian political
defected from rival parties—most individuals and splinter groups— standards. According to Nagesh Kumar, a
of these newcomers won bypolls attracts its own set of problems, he former MLC, the CM has a dozen advisors,
and got ministries, leaving the says. “Now that the Rajya Sabha and including friendly journalists hired at
older members aggrieved. Legislative Council elections will be wages upwards of Rs 3 lakh a month.
Katti, an eight-time MLA from due because of retirements, it “What is his battery of advisors doing?” he
Belgaum who didn’t make it to the seems the immediate claim is for asks. Problem is, sources say, Reddy sel-
cabinet, has dismissed any sugges- those positions,” the analyst says. O dom consults them. O
8 o u tlo ok | jun e 15 , 2020
Poliglot
interview
‘Mask up, there’s no silver bullet yet’
India’s foremost cardiologist and chairman interest of your employees and above all it
of super speciality hospital Medanta, is in the interest of the country because if
Dr Naresh Trehan tells Satish panic spreads from workplaces, there will
Padmanabhan the rules we must follow be a big problem. Don’t let economics be
as the country prepares to slowly ease the the only factor, safety has to be a compan-
lockdown in many parts. ion of economics. Short cuts at this stage
can be very expensive.
Now we will be entering a new phase
when the lockdown is slowly lifted. What How can we build immunity?
are the precautions to take at this stage? ➞ Muscles give you immunity. So, exercise,
➞ The cardinal rules are, no matter what whatever facility you have. If you don’t have
you are going to do, no matter where you any facility, you can do yoga in one room.
are going to be, your level conscious The suryanamaskar is the most fantastic
awareness must become part of your life. thing, it exercises every muscle in your
That means you are aware about the dis- body, including your intestines and liver.
tance, you are aware about the mask, about You can gradually
you wearing a mask and somebody else increase the number you
wearing a mask, if somebody else is not ‘People got can do. There is also
wearing a mask then stay away from them.
Do sanitisation. At home protect those
taken in by huge stress in people due
to various reasons. The
above 60 and below 10, be extra careful Trump...started best way to cope with it
about them. Do not do unnecessary tasks is to do the pranayama
till maybe another two or three months, taking hydroxy- exercises of yoga.
till the rage is on and there is no treatment.
The silver bullet is still not here.
chloroquine. I want to make one
more point. A lot of
Don’t take it people got taken in by
What about going to work, many offices Trump on this hydroxy-
will open up now. yourself.’ chloroquine and started
➞ By all means, the able bodied must par- swallowing it. It has no
ticipate in their full activity as we go for- role to play unless you are sick and the
ward. It is up to the organisations to make doctor prescribes it. Please don’t take it
sure minimum safety standards are max- yourself as many people have been hurt
imised. Safety features for all employees by it due to some rhythm problem, some
must be in place when they come back, it is ECG problem that can prove fatal. Do not
in the interest of your business, it is in the use it as a prevention, it has no value. O
brevis
Wajid Khan of Rajya Sabha MP Astrologer Bejan The first chief American guitarist
music director duo Veerendra Daruwalla, minister of Chhattis- Bob Kulick,
Sajid-Wajid, popular Kumar, who was popular for his garh, Ajit Jogi, known for perform-
for Salman Khan managing director of newspaper/maga- has died of a cardiac ing with rock band
films such as Malayalam daily zine columns and arrest following KISS, musician Lou
Dabangg, has died of Mathrubhumi, has who also appeared prolonged illness. He Reed and singer
COVID-19. He was 42. died at the age of 84 on TV, has died. He was 74. Meat Loaf, has died.
in Kozhikode. was 90. He was 70.
j u ne 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | ou t look 9Poliglot
MixedShots
Honest Like A Thief
F
eel like the end of the world is imminent and scrounging for a ray
of hope? Well, here’s a story to restore your faith in humanity. When Break The Nut Rut?
I
V. Suresh Kumar’s motorcycle was stolen, little did he expect it t seems the pandemic is making
would turn up in the mail a few days later—sent by the very man who took people go nuts. And in some places,
it. But that’s what happened. Prashanth, coconuts. Representatives of the
who worked in a tea shop nearby, had Mannai Telugu Chettiar community
taken the bike to return to his approached the Madras High Court to
hometown Mannargudi, about 240 km stop the tradition of breaking coconuts
away, with his wife and children. He on devotees’ heads during the Aadi
took the dire step as he did not have festival at Mahalakshmi Amman temple
any work during the lockdown. He in Karur. The court, however, refused to
returned the bike later and Suresh interfere in religious customs and
withdrew his police complaint. If only dismissed the plea. Looks like the
the Italian classic Bicycle Thieves had age-old practice is safe for now. The
ended this way! O skulls of the faithful? Not so much. O
W
Better Safe Than Unmagnified
hen the coronavirus’ depredations go down in the annals
of history, among its sartorial casualties will be a 167-year-
old tradition—railways’ TTEs wearing smart coats and ties
to check passengers’ tickets. Ticket inspectors now have to wear gloves,
masks and protective gear on duty. Lest the pesky virus hitches onto a
ticket that the TTE examines, the railways has instructed them to carry
magnifying glasses to view them from a distance. So if you think you see
Sherlock Holmes dressed as an alien on a train, resist the urge to say,
“Elementary, my dear Watson!” And pray that the train does not lose its
way on the tracks and land up in another state. O
full trot, Quarantino Dubai, do buy, do bye
I I
t must have been a pleasurable ride along mountains, t was the worst of
just a man and his horse in a steady gallop. Until times, it was the
COVID-19 played spoilsport. They were on their way to best of times—worst
Rajouri district from Kashmir Valley when officials stopped for the world and best for
them and sent the man to quarantine. They were wondering an Indian businessman in the
what to do with the horse until they came UAE. The 36-year-old is reported
up with the perfect solution—why, to have swindled 50 people by
send the horse to quarantine too! making bulk purchases of
Officials of the animal husbandry goods worth $1.6 million
department had to take the with post-dated cheques that eventually
“extreme measures” as the man bounced. By then, however, he had escaped to Hydera-
and his stead came from a red zone. bad on a repatriation flight. His grand loot? Face masks,
Now that the J&K administration is hand sanitisers, gloves, rice, nuts, tuna, pistachios,
turning luxury hotels around the Dal saffron, French fries, mozzarella cheese, frozen Indian
Lake into paid quarantine facilities, beef and tahini. News of grand feasts is yet to trickle in,
we wonder if the quarantined horse but perhaps he was just stocking up for the mandatory
will have its day or neigh. O quarantine after arrival in India. O
10 o u tlook | jun e 15 , 2020 I ll u s t r a t io n s : s a a h il ; T e x t by G . C . S h e k h a r , N a s e e r G a n a i , S y e d S a a d A h m e d a n d Al k a G u p t aMasterspeak
A Webinar Series-Episode 3
Reset ideas foR
business leadeRs with
R. GopalakRishnan
Author and Corporate Advisor
Former Executive Director, Tata Sons
In conversation with
N MahalakshMi
Editor, Outlook Business
June 11, Thursday, 7:00, PM
To register, visit:
www.outlookbusiness.com
Presented by Co-Sponsored by
Do send in your question for
Mr. Gopalakrishnan and don’t
forget to tune in.POLITICS/MAHARASHTRA
Nisarga checks in—
Bandstand in Bandra
Aadesh Choudhari
Bend With The Wind
The coronavirus runs wild, migrant crisis deepens, a cyclone blows in, BJP
calls him a failure—Uddhav Thackeray rallies allies, steers shaky ship
Giridhar Jha Congress-Nationalist Congress Party humanitarian crisis triggered by the
(NCP) government’s premature end. Its exodus of migrant workers; plugging
T
downfall, naysayers believe, will come cracks within the coalition; handling
hey say the tree breaks if it from the internal contradictions within Cyclone Nisarga. Not to speak of the
doesn’t bend in a storm—or gets the coalition over the coronavirus crisis mob lynching of sadhus in Palghar and
uprooted. An old cliché. Shiv and issues before the pandemic. the prolonged uncertainly over his
Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray knows The Sena chief appears undeterred, election to the legislative council.
when to bend and how much, yet stand despite facing daunting challenges to Nisarga blew over, but there’s one
upright. He won’t be leading the Maha prove equal to both political and admin- cyclone he has to fight constantly.
Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in istrative tasks. He completed six Former ally BJP has been breathing
Maharashtra if he didn’t. It’s a coalition months of his tenure, though it was down his neck and accusing the Sena of
of arch-rivals whose ideological anything but smooth for him. The CM— backstabbing its voters by forming the
fountains spring from completely with no experience in governance, coalition with NCP and Congress. The
different fonts of wisdom. Opposites never aspired to take over the reins of BJP and Sena contested last October’s
attract but the chief minister’s prede- the MVA government in the first assembly election as pre-poll allies, but
cessor, Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP, is place—could not have seen it coming fell out as both parties wanted the chief
confident such friendships don’t last when he took oath on November 28 last minister’s post and negotiations for a
long. “Aisi sarkaren kabhi paanch saal year. Since then, the 59-year-old lead- timeshare formula failed. BJP leaders
chali hain? (Have such governments er’s political and administrative acu- called it a “great betrayal”, and would
ever lasted five years?),” he said in a men has been tested on shifting anvils. lose no opportunity in pushing the Sena
recent interview. His is not the solitary Arresting the exponential spike in chief to the corner. They have
voice portending the Shiv Sena- COVID-19 cases; tackling the demanded President’s rule over
12 o u tlook | june 15 , 2020POLITICS/MAHARASHTRA
Thackeray’s “failure to contain the con-
tagion”. Fadnavis even visited governor
Bhagat Singh Koshyari to express con-
cerns over the state’s COVID-19 situa-
tion. Though he declared that his party
was not interested in bringing down the
Sena-led government, he accused it of
being indecisive. “Chief minister
Uddhav Thackeray is new and is scared
of taking action and depends a lot on
the bureaucracy,” he says. “There is no
coordination in the state government.”
It is, quite naturally, expected of the
Opposition to keep reminding the gov-
ernment about the state’s runaway rate
of infections. The BJP is doing just that.
But the narrative is getting infected.
The BJP alleged that the Maharashtra Rising temperature—spike in COVID-19 cases is a bigger storm for Uddhav Thackeray
government was indifferent to thou-
sands of migrant workers seeking to Thackeray has managed to rally his senior Congress leader, Baldev Khosa,
return home during the lockdown. allies by his side, despite intermittent says Thackeray is working hard and sin-
Railway minister Piyush Goyal said the reports of differences within the alli- cerely. “There are no two opinions
state has not furnished information ance. The BJP’s relentless attacks are about it. All the doctors, nurses and the
about the number of passengers for the probably pushing the ruling allies to policemen have been doing a yeoman’s
Shramik trains from Mumbai. Fadnavis stick together more closely. While NCP job these days.” According to the four-
staged a ‘Maharashtra Bachao’ protest president Sharad Pawar has chosen to term legislator, “the government and
on May 22 against the government’s describe Fadnavis as an “impatient the Brihanmumbai Municipal
handling of the pandemic. “Most cases, man”, senior party leader Nawab Malik Corporation have done well to deal with
most deaths. The healthcare system has avers that the BJP will not be able to the situation”, in spite of Mumbai’s
completely collapsed. This is the abject destabilise the government. “Let the huge population of about 1.80 crore.
failure of the government. We have BJP keep dreaming about the The coalition maybe united on an
always cooperated with the state gov- Maharashtra government’s fall,” Malik, unknown, killer virus ravaging the
ernment. But how much will the people a cabinet minister, says. “They have a world and the state. That wasn’t the
have to tolerate?” he tweeted. The Sena right to dream but all the coalition par- case before the pandemic blew up. In
leaders were quick with their response. ties in the government are together. February, the NCP-Congress and the
“One political party state unit has set a Nobody can do anything.” Sena seemed to be on a collision
new low and a new world record…the But the unity rhetoric follows Pawar’s course after the National Investigation
only party in the world to indulge in recent meeting with the governor and Agency (NIA) took over the Elgar
politics and in spreading fear, hate and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Parishad case. In August 2018, the
division when the world has forgotten remarks that his party is not the key state police picked up five activists,
all of it to help each other. The party has decision-maker in Maharashtra. including Varavara Rao, and accused
forgotten the pandemic,” Aaditya Political observers called these devel- them of having funded the Elgar
Thackeray, the CM’s son and Sena opments a conscious bid by both lead- Parishad meeting held in Pune district
leader, tweeted his riposte. ers to insulate their parties from any on December 31, 2017, where inflam-
The CM is learning from the book of negative fallout of the coronavirus cri- matory speeches were allegedly made.
accumulating experience, though the sis. Thankfully for Uddhav, the allies Pawar criticised the CM for supporting
pandemic is proving a tough chapter. have scotched such speculation. “There the transfer of the case to the NIA.
Maharashtra has the nation’s highest is no difference of opinion among the Home minister Anil Deshmukh of the
number of infections—70,013 as on allies,” says Malik. “Our government is NCP was quoted as saying that the CM
June 2—and 2,362 deaths. The situation stable and there is no crisis.” The state’s overruled him. Earlier, on the CAA-
has been particularly grim in Mumbai, NCR-NPR issue, the NCP and
where all activities have remained sus- Congress differed sharply with the
pended for more than two-and-a-half Sena, which had voted in favour of the
months, dealing a crippling blow to “The chief minister citizenship (amendment) bill in the
India’s financial capital. The govern- is new and scared Lok Sabha in December. The ship is
ment has extended the lockdown till steady for now. Will the government
June 30. Restrictions will be eased in of taking action,” complete its term? It depends on the
three phases under its “Mission Begin Sena’s post-pandemic equations with
Again” programme, but there is no sign
says Devendra the allies, especially Pawar, who holds
of any let-up in the pandemic’s run. Fadnavis of BJP. the key to its survival. O
Outlookindia.com j u ne 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | ou t look 13VIsHal KHurma
CEO, WOxsEn UnivErsity
IndIan Y
ou must have read about the Spanish Flu (1918), which
had resulted in 50 million deaths across the globe. Then
came Great Depression (1929), which resulted in Global
GDP contraction of around 26%.
FMCG
And here we are staring at COVID-19 pandemic and global
recession together which none of us thought we would confront
in our lifetime. Within 6 months, the pandemic spread to every
single country in the world with a 6-million positive cases. The
pandemic situation has pushed us into the unchartered waters
SeCtor
and we are passing through a phase of uncertainty and high risk.
The entire country is in a state of lockdown from over 70 days.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, the FMCG Sector is in
turbulence across the world. In Indian context, FMCG sales which
was on a healthy double-digit growth has suddenly slipped to
below 5% level within 2 months. During lockdown 1.0, there was
a sudden increase in demand for essential products and
Which way will you commodities as people were stocking up for 2-3 months with an
assumption that these products might not be easily available
tilt during COVID times? during lockdown. But as government began easing of the
lockdown restrictions the panic buying tapered off. With an
Hope or Fear! increased awareness of hand hygiene among the masses, the
demand for hygiene products like handwashes, hand-sanitizers
and other household cleaning products has grown exponentially.Key Macro factors impacting Demand disruptions in terms of sustenance and negative impact of cost
The lockdown has brought many sectors to a complete halt, efficiency. Safety concerns, besides fear and panic, are foremost
impact of it was suddenly evident on the cash-flow of many in the minds of migrant labourers right now and it will take
businesses. Most factories are running at 30-40% capacity time for the situation to normalise before they return to resume
leading to additional pressure on operational efficiency and work. Supply chain issues will also get resolved slowly as the
spike in manufacturing cost. The availability of labour is Inter-state movement of heavy vehicles get allowed.
another challenge since most have moved back to their
hometowns. There is immense pressure on the supply chain, People & Resource Planning
and it is expected to take minimum 2-3 months to ease out. Basis their cash flow availability, many organisations have
Aside, with the surge in unemployment rate, the average wallet kickstarted projects to make their Organisational Structure
size of the consumers has contracted and the same reflects in leaner and agile. The mandate is based on business continuity
the GDP projections being pegged by various rating and principle and hence, every rupee counts. It is time to look at
research agencies at about 1% for 2020-21. The impact of the each resource through the lens of productivity, value addition
lockdown and pandemic-led recession is expected to play out and future growth. Most organisations are scrutinizing if their
through the year. structure at middle and top management can be sharper and
leaner.
Product Categories Examples of progressive organisations showing their
Here and now essential products and packaged food for human side are aplenty. Some have declared of no job cuts,
snacking are doing relatively well as most family members and some with temporary salary cuts, furlough, leave without
remained home. The sales of frozen food items for both veg pay, no bonus and increments etc. It is paramount for the
and non-veg has been on upside as people crave for snacks organisations to understand that this would be the wrong time
while staying at home. However, consumer spending on to lose your best resources particularly in the sales/commercial
discretionary product categories will take a beating as they function since it will negatively impact your revenue recovery
defer those spends for next 3-4 quarters. once the market rebounds.
Post pandemic demand landscape is expected to change
significantly as we see the consumer preference to shift in FMCG Outlook for Next 4-6 Quarters
favour of hygiene products, healthy organic food items, As India gears up to Unlock, the first 3-4 quarters will be
nutraceutical products etc. With sales plummeting for extremely tough as everyone will fight for their share of
restaurants and QSRs, many families are experimenting with wallet. Cash flow impact will have much deeper bearing on
“Ready to Cook” packaged products. manufacturing and supply chain even in the post lockdown
situation.
Channel Impact Covid-19 will further fuel the M&A activity within the FMCG
During the lockdown period, FMCG sales fell across all channels space given that many organisations and start-ups will have
with traditional trade and modern trade being the worst short term to long term liquidity requirements over the next
impacted. The footfall across the large format stores will 2-4 quarters. To help build the economy and fight recession,
continue to be subdued as consumers stay more comfortable Government has taken various measures and rolled out
buying their grocery essentials from their neighbourhood stimulus packages of Rs 20 lakh crore to help create demand
stores. With digital taking a precedence in the consumer mind, and support businesses across sectors.
E-commerce as a channel is expected play big and get much FMCG sector is expected to remain more resilient and shall
more traction over the next one year. recover much faster than other sectors. Rural demand will grow
on the back of value packs and revenue management initiatives,
Shift in Brand Loyalty which calls for some innovation in packaging and pricing.
Lockdown-led supply niggles, particularly on grocery Time will tell how long this pandemic is going to last, but
essentials, which gave way for the private labels to capture the one thing is sure that the FMCG sector will emerge strong given
shelf space for many retailers. Concerns over supplies has led the foundation and consumption story of our country. So, you
to some shift in the brand loyalty. will have to decide on which way would you like to tilt? Hope
The consumers seem to have gladly transitioned to the or Fear!
next best substitute available on the shelf and to an extent
become brand agnostic. Only time is the true testament and
will define whether this shift is permanent or temporary. VISHAL KHURMA is a Management Graduate from IIFT,
New Delhi and currently associated as Chief Executive Officer
Manufacturing & Supply Chain Disruptions
Lockdown created panic among the migrant labourers. After with Ormeal Foods Pvt. Ltd. His experience of 20+ years straddles
the lockdown was announced, the migrant labourers en masse across the Sales, Marketing and Business Strategy roles with
began their journey back to their hometowns, which crippled companies like PepsiCo, Coca Cola & ICI Dulux Paints.
many of the sectors, including the core sectors. E: vishal_khurma@yahoo.com
Manufacturing & Supply chain operations are facing hugeeconomy/MICROSTEPS
Small Scale,
more easily, he feels. “It is good that the
government is moving to a globally
acceptable MSME definition on the basis
of turnover,” says Srivastava, pointing
out that among the various criteria
Mega Mess
adopted by banks to provide working
capital investment, turnover is seen as
the most reliable. Traditionally, banks
and other financial institutions do not
put much faith in MSME data.
According to a CII report, India has
The government needs to take steps beyond the relief package around 63.4 million MSME units, which
for the revival of the pandemic-battered MSME sector contribute around 6.11 per cent of the
manufacturing GDP (that is, 33.4 per
cent of India’s manufacturing) and
Lola Nayar category to avail the benefits from the 24.63 per cent of the services GDP.
policy measures over the past few What drives this key segment of the
T
years instead of expanding. economy is the entrepreneurial spirit of
he government’s top priority is Professor Vikas Srivastava of IIM those willing to take the risk and inno-
to clean up the mess MSMEs Lucknow feels the government’s move vate to survive, says S. Sampathraman,
(micro, small, and medium is in line with the current global norms. CMD, DPK Engineers, Bangalore, who,
enterprises) are in due to the pandem- These steps should help this vital seg- at 77, has changed track to market his
ic. All efforts are on to provide them ment of manufacturing and services products—power generation sets, pump
credit guarantees and an edge where activities in the country avail bank credit sets and industrial equipment—under
public sector purchases are concerned. his own brand, breaking a 15-year-old
Redefinition of MSMEs on the basis of alliance with Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd.
turnover, number of employees and According to a Ravi Sood, general secretary, Badli
asset criteria are all good steps, CII report, India Industrial Estate Association, Delhi,
though, in the case of medium-scale which has 400 MSME units, is also
units, critics say the reforms are veiled has around ready to push ahead with a second
protectionism. This is not without innovation-led enterprise in Okhla. He
basis—hopefully, it will not tempt com-
63.4 million feels that while the earlier decision to
panies to remain in the medium MSME units. redefine MSME was positive, “the
16 o u tlook | june 15 , 2020economy/MICROSTEPS latest change in the definition seems to companies reach their breakeven late into sufficient credit to help them be aimed at big players who don’t want point only in the 11th month of a finan- ward off these tough times. to come out of the MSME comfort cial year. “The two-month closure of Sood, too, is unhappy that despite the zone as it gives them lot of freedom.” operations means we are already run- government promise of funding inno- The proprietor of a precision compo- ning in losses. So 2020-21 is a write-off vation under the Technology nents unit in Badli with a turnover of year for us. Same is the case for 90 per Acquisition and Development Fund Rs. 2.5 crore, Sood is happy with the 15 cent of MSMEs as large industries are scheme notified in 2017, he has yet to per cent equity support promise “as it their lifeline,” says Sampathraman. get the Rs 20-lakh grant approved by a will help small units get interest-free When big businesses grow, MSME’s panel of government-appointed investment from the government and can grow with them. But in many experts. “For more than one year, I help them revive growth without the cases, big industries are also responsi- have been waiting for reimburse- interest burden.” ble for squeezing the margins of small ments,” says Sood, who set up a new K.E. Raghunathan, former national and micro industries or forcing them automated water purification plant president of All India Manufacturers to undersell. As large industries inno- with funds borrowed in 2015. This in- Organisation (AIMO), points out that vate and expand operations to survive cluded Rs 40 lakh for innovation and under the earlier definition, 90 per cent in business, they move their business Rs 2 crore investment to set up the of around 6 crore MSMEs in the coun- away from their normal suppliers, manufacturing unit. try qualified as micro units. Now, with most of whom are unable to keep The entrepreneur has several other the redefinition of medium-scale units, strides with the changes and get wiped issues with government policies for around 50 lakh firms stand to benefit away due to unsold stocks. Most small not having waived off the fixed power under the relief packages. However, Raghunathan, who is also the MD of MSMEs are defined by Solkar Solar Industry, feels annual turnover, not the stimulus package for number of employees MSMEs is not adequate as or investment 37 per cent of units in the country are dying, accord- Micro is a unit with ing to a recent survey investment below conducted by AIMO. Rs 1 cr and turnover This fear is not un- under Rs 5 cr founded. For instance, Small units must have Sampathraman won’t be investment below Rs able to pay full wages to his 10 cr and turnover of 70 employees if he cannot up to Rs 50 cr get adequate credit to re- vive his enterprise. From Rs Medium units must 209 crore in 2015-16, have investment up to Sampathraman’s compa- Rs 50 cr and turnover ny’s turnover came down to below Rs 250 cr Rs. 97 crore in 2019-20 “due to various market condi- tions—demonetisation and reforms like industries are at a disadvantage as they charges despite the units not being RERA, IBC, Benami Act, GST etc. Some don’t have the intellectual property operational, something several state people called it sectoral recession, others rights for the products they produce governments including Karnataka, UP, called it a downward trend”. and are forced to work at just 2-5 per Haryana have done, but not Delhi. In a Sampathraman, however, admits that a cent margins. The changes after the letter to the government, he has also major factor in the drop in the compa- lockdown will further worsen their sought the Employee State Insurance ny’s turnover has been the delinking of condition. Commission corpus to be used to help “our alliance with Kirloskar”. He took As of now, the government relief compensate workers for loss of pay, as the decision because “the profit margins schemes depend on bank managers, this would help ease the fund pressure were being squeezed to such an extent who are in touch with MSMEs and will on enterprises to restart operations. that if we continued our alliance, we provide the lifeline of credit. Secondly, MSMEs are also seeking government would have had to wind up operations”. the industry has to be healthy for intervention to ensure the early But he is confident of bouncing back bankers to lend. Reports in the market release of payments from buyers as it within 2-3 years. To revive from the say that banks have been directed to will help them make payments to their lockdown, he says he needs extra fund- lend only to industries or businesses suppliers. There are many wheels to be ing or credit facility without any that are healthy and will be in a posi- oiled before the MSME sector can strings attached to recoup his losses. tion to repay the loan. Also, the new shrug off the current downtrend and This is important as 90 per cent of government initiatives may not trans- move forward again. O Outlookindia.com j u ne 1 5 , 2 0 2 0 | ou t look 17
sans frontiers
world Tour
FOREIGN
Hong Kong Seven former British HAND
foreign secretaries have urged PM Boris
Johnson to form a global alliance to
respond to the China-Hong Kong crisis. A
proposed Chinese security law for Hong
Kong would make it a crime to undermine
Beijing’s authority. But it could violate the
P
agreement when The UK handed Hong
Kong back to China in 1997. rotests over the death of 46-year-old African-American
George Floyd—a white Minneapolis cop pinned down the
handcuffed, grounded man with his knee on his neck for almost nine
minutes—have engulfed over 40 cities. Curfews have been imposed
as police clashed with protestors in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia
and Los Angeles. Police shot tear gas and pepper bullets as their
vehicles were torched and shops looted. Amidst the chaos, thousands
of peaceful protestors laid face down and chanted “I can’t breathe.”
Those were the last words of Floyd, whose death was captured on
video by bystanders who also repeatedly told the cop to get off the
man. He refused to let go even when Floyd pleaded that he couldn’t
Australia Letters written by the breathe. But tensions between Blacks and police did not start with
Queen before dismissing Gough Whitlam’s this—they have been years in the making.
Labour government in Australia in 1975— a Floyd died on May 25. Police officer Derek Chauvin has since been
controversial political episode—can be sacked and charged with murder. The case has reignited US anger
made public following a court ruling. Histo- over police killings of Black Americans. The outrage also reflects
rians have wondered what
frustration over socio-economic inequality and segregation. It
follows cases of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New
Buckingham Palace knew for it to dismiss
York and others that drove the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
the Whitlam government that was seen
Such deaths are not new in Minneapolis. In 2016, Philando Castile
as a progressive one, even though its
was shot dead by a police officer in a neighbourhood just 15 minutes
reforms had divided Australia.
away from the current epicentre of protest. In 2017, a Minneapolis
officer was charged with shooting to death Justine Damond after she
called to report a sexual assault. In 2015, protests erupted over the
shooting of Jamar Clark, a 24-year-old man who was being pursued
by Minneapolis officers. Minneapolis—while a prosperous city that
celebrates liberal policies—has struggled with socioeconomic
inequality and segregation, a phenomenon dubbed the ‘Minnesota
paradox’. The twin cities of Minneapolis and St Paul are
overwhelmingly White and its neighbourhoods are highly
segregated. Most Blacks live on the cities’ north. They were shaped
Belgium Prince Joachim, the by racist red-lining policies dating to the early 20th century when
28-year-old nephew of Belgium’s King Blacks were not allowed to buy homes in certain neighbourhoods. In
Phillipe, apologised and said he “will the 1960s, the state built a major highway that cut through and
accept the consequences” for attend- destroyed a thriving Black community known as Rondo in St Paul. A
ing a party during Spain’s lockdown. 2018 study show Black homeownership in the twin cities is among
He had travelled there for an internship the lowest in the US. In 2016, the average White household here
in May and attended a party in the earned about $76,000 a year; a Black household earned $32,000. And
southern Spanish city of Cordoba. An 32 per cent of Blacks live in poverty, while it’s only 6.5 for Whites.
investigation by Spanish authorities These disparities persist in the way the community is policed. O
on lockdown rules violation revealed
Joachim contracted coronavirus.
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