Hindu Right-Wingers Speak Out on Modi - Wall Street Journal
By Vibhuti Agarwal
Divisions among supporters of India’s main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party over Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi seem to be getting deeper.
Differences came out in the open in sharply contrasting editorials that ran in a pro-BJP magazine and in several publications affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, an extreme right-wing Hindu group that traditionally endorses the BJP.
An article published in the latest issue of the “Organizer”, an English-language magazine run by the RSS, described Mr. Modi as “by far the most popular leader in the country” and the “most preferred prime ministerial choice of the people”.
Describing Mr. Modi as the “BJP’s mascot” for the national elections to be held in 2014, G.V.L Narasimha Rao, the article’s author, said he has the potential to catapult the party to power.
“Modi as the leader of the BJP would deliver huge gains to it in the battleground state of Uttar Pradesh,” argues Mr. Rao. “He would help the BJP cross a threshold level of vote share to start winning seats in states like Orissa and Haryana and improve vote share substantially in states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal to make it an attractive pre-poll alliance partner.”
The BJP has deep-running ties with the RSS: many of the party’s leaders –including Nitin Gadkari, L.K. Advani and Atal Bihari Vajpayee – have their roots in the group. The RSS, which relies on an extensive grassroots network, wields considerable influence on the BJP’s policy agenda.
Mr. Rao’s views contrast with those published in the RSS’ Hindi weekly “Panchjanya”.
“Opponents of BJP get an opportunity to attack the party if such a popular leader [Modi] acquires an image of being intolerant who cannot take his colleagues along,” writes Devendra Swaroop in an editorial.
This appeared to be a reference to an episode that took place last week, when Mr. Modi refused to attend a meeting of senior BJP politicians in Mumbai over policy differences with fellow party member Sunil Joshi.
It was only after Mr. Joshi resigned as a member of the BJP’s executive body that Mr. Modi agreed to participate in the session, according to media reports.
“It is being felt that Modi needs to do a rethink about his style of functioning and organizational capabilities,” Mr. Swaroop wrote in the Panchjanya editorial.
The BJP magazine, “Kamal Sandesh” echoes similar views. Without explicitly naming Mr. Modi, author Prabhat Jha argues that the “BJP does not function on the basis of any individual’s contribution alone.”
“It is always seen that on reaching the top, even after knowing that a day will come when he has to come down, he tries to belittle the ones below him,” Mr. Jha writes.
BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar played down the articles saying “don’t make a story out of nothing.” He refused to comment on whether Mr. Modi will be the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate for the next general elections.
A major obstacle for Mr. Modi’s potential candidacy is that he does not enjoy the support of several key BJP politicians, including Mr. Advani and Sushma Swaraj.
The Gujarat riots are another major issue. While Mr. Modi has been hailed for his development efforts in Gujarat, his legacy has been tainted by the communal riots of 2002 in which over 1000 people died. Mr. Modi has been criticized for not doing enough to stop the violence, allegations he denies.
Political analyst Chintamani Mahapatra, professor at the New Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University says “Modi might be the BJP’s popular face but the party will take a decision on him only after consultation with potential coalition partners.”
The RSS will likely play a big role in determining whether Mr. Modi could become the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate. “Without the RSS’ backing, no candidate can do well,” says Mr. Mahapatra.
Do you think the BJP should choose Narendra Modi as its leader? Please share your views in the Comments section.
Flower defends England's decision to rest Anderson - ESPN.co.uk
It was telling that, not for the first time in this series, it was a man who was conspicuous by his absence who dominated the pre-Test discussion at Edgbaston. Speaking about England's decision to rest James Anderson from the final Test against West Indies, Andy Flower defended the rotation policy, saying that the demanding fixture list meant it would be "crazy and naive" to think England could utilise just three fast bowlers - Anderson, Stuart Broad and Tim Bresnan - over the next couple of years.
The move has provoked a varied response. While some have understood that it is simply a sign of the times and more a reflection of England's hectic schedule than any slight on Anderson or the ticket-buying public of Birmingham, others have reacted as if it were an early sign of the breakdown of law, order and civilization. For example, Ian Botham, the former England allrounder and captain, wrote in his Mirror column that the decision was "complete madness" and "an insult to the English public who pay their money to go and watch the best players in the land represent them on the field".
Either way, it is a measure of the sensitivity of the subject that Flower, the England coach, took it upon himself to come and speak to a section of the media and provide an in-depth explanation of the rationale behind the decision. Flower, while at pains not to be seen to criticise officials at the ECB who have agreed the playing schedule, called the itinerary "incredibly heavy". He also reminded supporters that rotation was not a new thing - Andrew Strauss, the captain, was rested from a tour of Bangladesh in 2010 - and, while Flower declined to answer any questions about Kevin Pietersen, he did admit that the prospect of players choosing to specialise was an "ongoing issue with the schedules that we're being asked to undertake".
"We came into this series with one goal and that was to win the series," Flower said. "We've achieved that goal so our priorities do shift. I'm not intending to demean the importance of this Test but, since we won the series already, our priority on the Test front does now shift to the South Africa series. There is also a slight shift to the West Indies one-day series because that series stands at 0-0. We haven't won that series, we've won this one. Part of our decision making is based around those reasons.
"If it had been 1-1 going into this third Test, Jimmy would have played. He is not badly injured and he could play this Test if we wanted him to. But it's 2-0 and we've won the series already.
"The second point I would make is that the days of us playing our players until they are either worn down significantly, or snap physically or mentally, are over. We think it our responsibility to manage things better than that. It is our duty to make decisions in their interests and the interests of the team. In the past we tended to play the fast bowlers until they were either bowling so poorly we had to leave them out, or they break down. And that doesn't make sense to us.
"Would you enter your prize horse in every race through the year? You wouldn't. You would target the races you want to win. We've won this race already. Would you play your most valuable pitcher in every single game in a baseball season? No you wouldn't. In fact, you don't even see them play full games. You pull them out of games because physically it makes sense to do so. Eventually their shoulder or their elbow would go. Does Wayne Rooney play every game for Manchester United? No, he doesn't because he would break down if he tried to do so. The schedule is really busy, and that's why we have to make these decisions. It would be ridiculous if we expected our fast bowlers to play in every single game.
"These types of decisions are made for the good of the team but also they will extend the careers of bowlers like Anderson. Actually I think it's beneficial to him. I understand the reasons why he is disappointed but it is beneficial to him in the long run.
"My third point is we have to try to and grow our pool of fast bowlers that are available to the England side. You would have seen through the Ashes in Australia that it wasn't the same attack that was used throughout that series. When we left Steven Finn out and when Stuart Broad was injured, the guys who came in excelled. Over the next couple of years the schedule is incredibly heavy. It is not only going to be Anderson, Broad and Bresnan who are going to be our bowlers over the next couple of years. It would be crazy and naive to think so. We are going to use other fast bowlers. It is part of growing our pool of fast bowlers.
"My fourth point is the possible replacement or replacements we use in this Test match are fine bowlers in their own right who have already performed very successfully in Test matches in England. I don't see it as devaluing this Test, I see it as a really exciting opportunity for us and for those watching the game. We are making this decision in the best interests of English cricket. We are not trying to overcomplicate, or devalue the game in any way. I perfectly understand why James Anderson is disappointed to be left out and I would be surprised if he felt any different. He is hungry to play. That's okay.
"He will be using this time to get his body in as good order as possible. He is carrying a couple of niggles and this is a chance to get rid of them. If it was 1-1 he would be playing, but it's not. We make decisions that make us stronger in the medium to long-term. Those are the reasons why we've made those decisions. Some people will disagree with them and that's fair enough. But I hope you can understand the logic behind those decisions."
Flower admitted that Broad may also be left out of the final XI "for similar reasons" and dismissed the idea that either he or Anderson would be selected with a view to improving their Test statistics. "We don't select people to get their Test tally up," Flower said. "We make decisions in the best interests of English cricket."
It was also noticeable that, in Anderson's absence, England spent some time in fielding drills with prospective new members of the slip cordon. Jonathan Trott, Steven Finn, Jonny Bairstow and Alastair Cook were among those who are not always in the cordon to be put through their paces.
Anderson's absence is unlikely to have much effect on last-minute ticket sales at Edgbaston. The weather forecast - grim, as ever this summer, it seems - may prove more relevant, though relatively high ticket prices will not have helped. Warwickshire, in their defence, would point out that various group discounts and 'kids for a quid' schemes were available.
They may also point out that ticket sales are not as poor as has been suggested in some quarters. As of Tuesday, Edgbaston had pre-sold 52,300 tickets for the Test. While fourth-day sales are poor - around 4,000 - the first three days are respectable (16,500, 14,800 and 17,000 respectively). Indeed, some grounds outside London would need to turn people away with those figures.
It is an important game for Warwickshire. Having invested heavily in redeveloping their stadium to an excellent standard - something they were encouraged to do by the ECB - they then missed out in the distribution deal and will not host an Ashes Test in 2013 or an India Test in 2014. While they will host some attractive limited-overs games - not least the final of the ICC Champions Trophy - they do not host another Test after this until 2015. With hefty loans to repay, they need to maximise revenues from this Test.
George Dobell is a senior correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
© ESPN EMEA Ltd
Mt. Diablo school board promotes administrator, discusses public input meetings - San Jose Mercury News
CONCORD -- The Mt. Diablo school board on Monday appointed a district administrator in a split vote and appeared to reverse its previous commitment to holding community meetings.
Trustees voted 4-1 to appoint Ygnacio Valley High Principal Bill Morones as director of secondary education effective July 1. Trustee Cheryl Hansen opposed the appointment, saying Morones has moved so often during the past six years that it is unclear whether he can show a strong record of achievement.
Morones was appointed principal of Ygnacio Valley High two years ago. The school's Academic Performance Index, which is based on student test scores, rose 7 points in 2011, from 665 to 672 on a scale of 200-1,000.
The board also agreed to hold two of six originally scheduled "public input meetings," although board President Sherry Whitmarsh said she believed they could be part of regular meetings rather than separate meetings in the community. But Hansen said incorporating them into the regular sessions would defeat the goal of allowing for a public dialogue with the board.
In February, the board agreed to hold community meetings, but was later advised by General Counsel Greg Rolen that they might violate the Brown Act if they discussed items not on the agenda. Since then, the board has discussed different proposed agenda topics, without agreeing to any.
At Monday's meeting, Whitmarsh agreed to discuss the draft strategic plan, but said Hansen's other
proposed topics -- Bay Point school planning, Measure C bond construction projects and the "state of the district" -- were too vague or could be handled through other processes. Trustee Gary Eberhart said he wants to vote June 25 on eliminating the other planned public input meetings, but Hansen said she wants to push forward with them.After the Monday meeting, union representatives expressed disappointment in the board's discussion.
"It's completely destroyed the original intent of the board," said Mike Langley, the outgoing teachers' union president who is retiring this month. "If they didn't intend to have those town hall discussions, they should have voted them down. Instead, through double-talk and subterfuge, they managed to delay it to the end of the year and then drive a stake through its heart."
Debbie Hickey, a clerical employees' union rep, said the board's reluctance to hold community meetings gives the impression the district has something to hide.
ONLINE
More information about the Mt. Diablo school board meeting is available by calling 925-682-8000 ext. 4000 or by going to http://esbpublic.mdusd.k12.ca.us. Click on June 4.
For additional details, including links to video clips, read the On Assignment blog at www.ibabuzz.com/
onassignment.
Poster campaign keeps Modi-Joshi row alive - The Hindu
The Narendra Modi-Sanjay Joshi issue is far from over. Ten days after BharatiyaJanata Party president Nitin Gadkari sacked Mr. Joshi from the national executive under pressure from the Gujarat Chief Minister, mysterious posters have surfaced in Gujarat and here targeting Mr. Modi.
While the BJP maintains that it has no clue to who is behind the poster campaign, senior leaders have conceded that the Modi-Sanjay row has divided the BJP as well as the Sangh Parivar. Influential sections within the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP have openly sympathised with Mr. Joshi, an RSS pracharak and Mr. Modi's bête noire.
According to a senior BJP leader, the poster campaign as well as articles in the mouthpieces of the RSS and the BJP critical of Mr. Modi reflect the divisions within the party and unease over the manner Mr. Gadkari yielded to the Chief Minister.
An article in Panchjanya, RSS mouthpiece, not only questioned Mr. Modi's style of functioning but also suggested that the issue of the BJP's prime ministerial candidate be decided only after the 2014 general elections — an obvious reference to the race within the party to position oneself as the nominee before the poll.
The posters, which have surfaced in parts of central Delhi, with Joshi's pictures read: Chote man se koi bada nahi hota, tute man se koi bada nahi hota (nobody becomes big with a narrow mind). They go on to say: Kaho dil se... Sanjay Joshi phir se (Say with your heart, Sanjay Joshi once again).” Though name of the Gujarat Chief Minister does not figure in the posters, the reference to the post-Mumbai conclave of the BJP is obvious.
Responding to questions, BJP chief spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “These were not authorised banners and posters of the party, so I do not have to say anything about them.”
On the pieces in Panchajanya and the BJP's Kamal Sandesh, expressing concern over internal affairs of the party, Mr. Prasad said much should not be read into the articles.
“What appeared in Panchajanya and the Organiser are only the personal views of the author and not of the organisation (RSS). RSS spokesperson Ram Madhav has already clarified this and I as a Swayamsevak of the RSS and Chief spokesperson of the BJP am saying this.”
Tim Kawakami: 49ers star Vernon Davis working through family tragedy - San Jose Mercury News
Vernon Davis will never be a shrinking violet or crusty, craggily silent type.
He has things to say and goals to meet. But Davis is 28 now, a six-year NFL veteran, and recent family events have intruded on happy-go-lucky reality.
Last month, Davis' 19-year-old brother, Michael, was charged with first-degree murder in Washington, D.C., (in addition to charges related to two other attacks), ruled incompetent to stand trial and sent to a hospital for further evaluation.
When I spoke to the 49ers' star tight end after Tuesday's OTA, he was as ebullient and confident as ever, mentioning his interior-design business (Modern Class Design) and his recent meeting with Magic Johnson.
But Davis also checked himself more than once and repeatedly referred back to the practice field, the work, and the team.
"I strongly believe we should be the Super Bowl favorites," Davis said, "but I can't talk about it because it's all about work.
"It starts here at practice. I don't want to talk about it and brag and say this and that, because it's not about that. It's about working first.
"And in the end, you will see where you'll be."
Yes, about the work.
Earlier Tuesday, coach Jim Harbaugh praised Davis specifically for his performance this offseason, which Davis accepted without much reaction when I passed it along to him.
Davis said he's working on his route-running, and said it's already clear that the additions
of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham and the good health of Michael Crabtree have significantly upgraded the 49ers' receiving corps.But Davis also said all this with much more restraint than I've heard from him before, and there probably is at least one sobering reason for this.
After the news broke about his brother, Davis flew back to be with his grandmother -- who raised Davis and his six siblings, which also includes the Miami Dolphins' Vontae Davis.
But Davis said he hasn't had recent contact with Michael, and pointed out that he quickly returned to Santa Clara. To work.
"It's pretty frustrating, it's stressful," Davis said in his first extended public comments about his brother and the death of 66-year-old Gary Dederichs.
"But at the end of the day, I'm my own man, regardless of what my little brother does or what he did. It's him. He's got to live with that. I don't have to live with that ...
"My job is to be there to support him any way that I can. And I'll do just that. But when it comes to my career, my job, something that I love so much and something that I'm passionate about, I can't let anything get in the way of that."
What was your reaction when you first got the news that your brother had been arrested in such a terrible incident?
"It broke my heart," Davis said. "But I had to keep going. I had to pick my head up and just keep on walking. Can't let that affect me."
His focus, Davis said, will always be on becoming the best player he can be and helping the 49ers as much as possible.
"Yeah, I'm old enough and wise enough to know that," Davis said. "I've been through a lot.
"Like I tell everybody, when someone's been through tough times, things that are tough, after the fact, aren't so tough ...
"To me, growing up without my mom being around, and her being on drugs and things like that, and having my grandmother raise me and my six siblings, that's tough enough.
"I don't think I'll ever see anything tougher than that, in my eyes, because that's something right there that gave me the drive, the strength and the endurance to overcome any obstacle that crossed my path."
Even before I asked him about his brother, Davis kept bringing up the concept of accountability.
Specifically: personal accountability.
"For me, it's not really about showing the coaches," Davis said when I mentioned Harbaugh's compliment. "It's about being accountable, being accountable for my own actions and continuing to do what I've been doing since I got here ...
"It's all about the team first, then myself. As I continue to help the team, I'll continue to build on my success, but it all starts with the team."
In Davis' mind, that could and probably should lead to the 49ers winning the Super Bowl next February.
Davis said the NFC Championship game loss to the Giants was so difficult to take that he went home that night and cried.
But then he woke up the next morning and moved on.
"I got over it -- the next day I was all right," Davis said. "I told myself that it wasn't our time. Next year.
"The thing that made me happy is you live to see the next day and you get an opportunity to do it again."
You do the work. You accept accountability. You grow, you mature, you endure the troubles, and maybe you end up winning the Super Bowl, if it's your time.
Read Tim Kawakami's Talking Points blog at blogs.mercurynews.com/kawakami. Contact him at tkawakami@mercurynews.com.
St. Lucie County creates special taxing district to pay for South Hutchinson Island beach restoration - Jupiter Courier
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — County officials created a special taxing district on South Hutchinson Island to help pay for a beach and dune restoration project.
But the county won't levy taxes against properties within the district until after it bids the project within the next couple of months.
County commissioners, serving as the county's erosion district board, unanimously voted at their Tuesday night meeting to approve the South Hutchinson Island Beach and Dune Restoration Special Assessment District for the one-time, non-federal project for about 3.4 miles from Normandy Beach to the Martin County line.
They also approved the ballot results from letters sent to property owners within the district to determine their level of support in creating it.
With ballot results weighted based on proposed assessment amounts for each property, the majority of the owners who returned ballots favored the project.
Of the 5,213 ballots mailed, according to county officials, 2,855 ballots were returned. More than 55 percent by assessment were in favor of the project while less than 45 percent by assessment were against it.
According to county officials, properties east of S.R. A1A have a $1,535 average assessment while properties west of A1A have a $183 average assessment.
But actual assessment amounts won't be known until September after the project is bid.
Eighty-three percent of the $3.9 million cost to develop the project to date came from state grants and the rest was covered by the county's erosion control district, a countywide taxing district.
The more than $11.7 million cost to complete the project would be split among the state at 43 percent, the county's erosion district at 23 percent and the special assessment district at 34 percent. The governor approved the state funding in April.
County officials said hurricanes damaged the south county beaches and dunes and exacerbated the usual problem of beaches south of the inlets losing sand. Inlets disrupt the natural flows of sand from north to south.
The project would restore recreational beaches, animal habitats and storm protection for properties at the end of the year. It also would increase dune widths between 9 and 60 feet and beach widths between 50 and 90 feet.
Because county officials don't know when a federal shore protection project will happen, they are pushing for a local project now that would last for the next 10 years.
Ireland set to break with tradition - UEFA
Anyone who suggests the Irish are incapable of making fun of themselves simply has to recall the joke the former Republic of Ireland defender Mark Lawrenson made about the predictability of his team's tactical strategy. "Sure if Plan A fails," Lawrenson said with a smile, "we can always opt for Plan A."
Time has not altered the widely-held view that Irish teams are wedded to 4-4-2 formations. There has been only one adjustment from this system in Giovanni Trapattoni's tenure, which came in Bari three years ago, when the Italians were reduced to ten men and 'Trap' immediately opted for a 4-3-1-2 shape.
The chance of him doing something similar again for Sunday's UEFA EURO 2012 opener against Croatia seems strong. After drawing against Hungary on Monday night, when their opponents managed to effectively position players in between Ireland's lines of four defenders and midfielders, Trapattoni has spoken openly about changing his plans.
"At half-time last night, I took Robbie [Keane] aside and asked him to play a little deeper," said Trapattoni. "He can do this role cleverly. He has the quality. And if it has to be done, it has to be done. It is something we Italians are used to doing in order to get a result. Sometimes the best defender on the pitch has to be your striker."
Change is not something Ireland's players are afraid of either, with striker Jonathan Walters, saying: "With our clubs we make three, four tactical changes per match. It’s what we do."
What Ireland's players must do, to stay sweet with Trapattoni, is adhere to his work ethic. "There is a player in my squad - I won't name him - who, under a previous Ireland manager, ventured up field once. Ireland lost the ball," Trapattoni recalled. "The man he was supposed to be marking scored while he had stayed upfield. He had washed his hands of blame like Pontius Pilate. As a manager, I can't allow that thing to happen."
Much is happening for Ireland this week, though. After attending a civic reception in the afternoon, the players then trained in front of 12,000 fans, who saw 20 of the 23 players work out. John O'Shea, Shay Given and Glenn Whelan were rested but, Trappattoni insisted, all three will be available for Sunday.
Rain fails to dampen Portuguese spirits - UEFA
As the rain fell hard on the training pitch and media centre at Portugal's UEFA EURO 2012 base at Opalenica, summer seemed to have forgotten to turn up. Yet the outlook in the camp was unquestionably bright when Paulo Bento's charges woke to their first day of work in Poland.
Midfielders João Moutinho and Hugo Viana are approaching the tournament full of freshness and both are understandably keen to make an impact, with Moutinho having missed out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup after an impressive UEFA EURO 2008. As for Viana, his appearance as a substitute in the recent friendly with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was his first for Portugal in over five years – dating back to a 1-1 friendly draw with Kuwait in June 2007.
Following excellent club seasons with FC Porto and SC Braga respectively, the two Sporting Clube de Portugal academy graduates wish to stay focused on the present. "The past doesn't count for anything," said Moutinho, briefly recalling the abrupt end to his tournament in Switzerland four years ago, when he went off injured after half an hour as Portugal lost to Saturday's opening Group B opponents Germany at the quarter-final stage.
The disconnection from past meetings is even more pronounced for Viana, returning to the fold after a long hiatus. "I've never played with this group or under Paulo Bento," he said, "but I knew most of the players already and the adaptation process has been excellent. I hope we can take this atmosphere into the game with Germany."
Despite national disappointment at the weekend loss to Turkey in front of a full house in Lisbon, the feeling within the group is upbeat, and the players believe there is something good to work with. "The team played pretty well against Turkey," emphasised Viana. "We were pleased with the performance but not with the result."
Moutinho also put recent results into perspective, saying: "They were preparation games. We improved from one to the other and it's all about being in the best possible condition for the match on Saturday." There is acknowledgement that Joachim Löw's side will start as marginal favourites at Arena Lviv, yet the 25-year-old Porto man thinks Portugal have the tools to "surprise" the 2008 finalists.
"We have our own style of play," he said, “just like Germany do, and we'll try and impose ourselves on the match. We just have to concentrate as it's the little details that decide games at this level." There is no suggestion of going into the match simply aiming not to lose. "We'll work towards getting a victory, like we do for all the games," Moutinho confirmed. "If we don't manage it, then we'll do the sums later on."
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