Thursday, 5 June 2014
Narendra Modi's Hindi bowling was googly for SAARC leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke tradition last week when he spoke with foreign dignitaries in Hindi, showing he isn't under a colonial shadow to want to communicate in English. Surprise was in store for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, when he noticed a translator sitting along in a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders. In the past, leaders would refrain from having translators to convey their messages since English is the unofficial lingua franca in South Asia, and enjoys the status of being the language of diplomacy.
It was not just Rajapakse's, who was told to devolve powers to Tamil-dominated Jafna region and attend to their issues, turn to be surprised, but Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen and Mauritius' Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam too were perplexed on realising that Modi was speaking in Hindi. The ministry of external affairs has arranged for a translator to translate Modi's words in English. The ministry, however, didn't need a translator for Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif, who felt comfortable to communicate with Modi in Urdu. "Basically, the exchange was in Urdu and Hindi. Much like India and Pakistan, the languages are akin to two umbilical cords of the same foetus," a diplomat told dna.
The heads of state from six South Asia nations and of Mauritius attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony on May 26, and held bilateral meetings with him the following day. At the delegation-level talks, the secretaries present at the meetings translated Modi's words into English for the guests.
Diplomats said Modi had actually tried to ape Chinese and Japanese leaders, who speak to foreign dignitaries in their own language, even though they are conversant and fluent in English. "Modi has tried to assert India's national identity in South Asia by talking in Hindi. He played the national card very well," they say. The BJP's first prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was known for his Hindi oratory skills, but on occasions linked to international diplomacy, he would take recourse to English.
Modi asked Rajapakse for an "early and full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution". He said the government "should expedite the process of national reconciliation in a manner that meets the aspirations of the Tamil community for a life of equality, justice, peace and dignity in a united Sri Lanka".
Analysts believe diplomats in Colombo were expecting the new prime minister to settle down in office, address domestic issues and then turn to bilateral concerns with neighbours. But Modi put to rest that assumption in just 20 minutes, first with Sri Lanka and then with Pakistan.
During last Thursday's weekly ministerial meeting, Rajapakse confirmed that Modi had raised with him issues relating to the 13th Amendment of the Constitution, police and land powers and the issue of fishermen. He made it clear that the Indian Prime Minister had stated his new government's position. In responding to them, he said, he had also stated the Sri Lanka government's position. Rajapakse was impressed that ministers were taking their oath about ensuring secrecy. He said at next week's ministerial meeting, he would present a memorandum that ministers in Sri Lanka too swear such secrecy on matters relating to the government.
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
'Modi's leadership style best for India'
MUMBAI: When the PMO said Narendra Modi will have a final say on policy matters, it clearly set the tone for a centralized structure of operation in the new government. Some companies decentralize their structures to cut down on bureaucracy and enhance creativity. However, given the context of the Indian economy and Modi's personal style of functioning, management gurus TOI spoke to believe a centralized structure of governance would work best for India.
In a centralized structure, a leader has a strong control over decision making, while in a decentralized structure, managers down the hierarchy are empowered to take decisions. In larger multinationals, the operations are generally decentralized across geographies. "What India needs now, more than ever, is centralized decision making in setting fiscal, monetary, and regulatory policies but decentralized decision making with regard to creating new businesses and getting the economy going," said Vijay Govindarajan, Coxe Distinguished Professor at Tuck, Dartmouth.
But there is a difference. Experts are hopeful the Modi government would not micro-manage all economic activities. Prior to 1990, India followed centralization to a fault where the government was running steel mills and power plants. "The government should do what is supposed to do - govern and let the Indians do what they know how to do well — fuel entrepreneurship," said Govindarajan.
The previous government, which followed a decentralized structure, was criticized for its policy paralysis. There are specific reasons why companies adopt either of the two structures. "Whether it is a centralized structure or decentralized, one cannot make a virtue out of the two management styles. Both have their value and relevance depending on two things; one, the context in which the leader operates, which includes the task at hand (which in corporate sector is described as strategy) and the ecosystem; and the second, the personal style of the leader," said Santrupt Misra, director, HR, Aditya Birla Group.
The context in India's case is certainly challenging. As for the personal style of the leader, Govindarajan said Modi's leadership style is perfect for the times and India needs a strong leader "who is not afraid of making the tough decisions".
"We are transiting from a lax government with no decisive actions and corruption. A decentralized decision making in this context will be disaster," said Bala V Balachandran, J L Kellogg distinguished professor (emeritus in service) of accounting and information management, Northwestern University.
Misra said it's important to keep in mind what structure would be a natural fit to the leader's personality. If the personal style of the leader is one of centralized, then to think that he or she will operate in a decentralized structure is like going against the natural grain of the leader.
A centralized structure would also mean that accountability lies with the leader alone. "The people of India trusted Modi as a decisive leader with accountability and responsibility. The buck stops here.
If things go right then, knowing him personally, I am confident he will distribute the results to his cabinet and the IAS officers. If it goes wrong, there is only one man to take the entire blame," said Balachandran.
A centralized structure is seen to be useful when there are quick wins to be achieved.
"However, the band width availability of the centralized structure where volumes of information to be processed for decision making is an issue. The advisers who form part of the centralized structure have to be extremely sharp and objective for this to work well," said P Thiruvengadam, leader and senior director, Deloitte Human Capital Advisory Services.
A single centre of power can also scuttle creativity. Govindarajan said every Indian should be empowered and encouraged to innovate. "India's youth is our single biggest asset. The window of opportunity to leverage this asset is rather limited, may be 20 years. If we do not do that, our demographic dividend will become a demographic disaster," said Govindarajan
Monday, 2 June 2014
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