Pak envoy’s Iftar diplomacy yet to take off Maharashtra planning $16 billion infra push
Generally, Hurriyat or separatist leaders from J&K are the favourite guests at the Pakistan mission in Delhi, provoking India. But this year, there has been more restraint, as the two PMs meet in Russia.
Nowadays, Iftar parties often come loaded with political messages. Yet, one such event billed for 4 July evening had to be called off. The hosts were going to be Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. The reason behind the postponement of the soon-after-dusk-dinner is said to be the guest list, for it could well have proved contentious and difficult to gulp by the Indian Government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was about to be off to Russia via Central Asia. And a rendezvous with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif that actually took place on Friday at Ufa in Russia was very much on the cards. And, thus, a “spoiler” at that stage was thought by the mission to do more harm than good vis-à-vis the possibility of talks between the two Prime Ministers.
Generally, Hurriyat or separatist leaders from Jammu and Kashmir are most sought after guests at the Pakistan mission in Delhi on an occasion like an Iftar get together. And they could well have been there on 4 July to feed bite-hungry journalists after Iftar. This could have the potential to provoke the South Block mandarins, the media and public opinion at home since exactly this had once been the case. Last year, India called off a foreign secretary-level meeting between the two neighbours soon after Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his other Hurriyat cohorts met Pak envoy Abdul Basit for consultations before the official talks between the secretaries.
Thus, the restraint preferred by the mission this time has somehow saved the talks. It took place at the highest level between the two countries and a joint statement could be possible at Ufa by the foreign secretaries of the two sides. Kashmir as such does not figure in Friday’s statement, although it calls for resolving all outstanding issues through talks to take care of Islamabad’s concerns.
Basit, besides others, could well be credited for this little feat. His Iftar party is now to be rescheduled. And it may well unravel how the top level talks held in Russia have been taken by him, his country and his guests from the valley. But before the separatists’ tune could possibly be played at the sprawling Chanakyapuri High Commission, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has stepped in to have his say first. Sayeed’s staff called up select guests from Delhi soon after the Ufa statement was inked, to request to join him on Sunday (12 July) evening in New Delhi for an Iftar dinner.
And as the holy month of Ramazan draws nearer to its fag end, not much time is left for Basit, although now he can well have his word after Mufti, in what is turning out to be quite more chequered a diplomacy than before.
It is going to be more so in the days to come since Modi is likely to visit Srinagar almost on Id eve. The Prime Minister’s message to the Valley would more eagerly be awaited than all the other moves. No guesses until it is out for there can only be guesses about this until then. Maharashtra plans to spend almost $16 billion over five to six years on a revamp of key infrastructure, reviving longdormant projects including a Mumbai airport, a port and a coastal road, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said.
The Centre has prioritised kick-starting infrastructure projects gathering dust because of obstructive bureaucracy, lack of private sector interest or, in some cases, lengthy litigation.
Mumbai is home to some of the most delayed projects in the country. But the state says reviving them is a priority, as it courts investment to create much-needed jobs. Half of its population is under 25.
“It should not have waited so long. It is late. But now we will try to catch up,” Fadnavis said in an interview.
Fadnavis, who last year became the first BJP CM of Maharashtra, said he had accelerated the infrastructure plans in part due to direct intervention from the Centre.
That includes the new Mumbai airport, which is scheduled to see its first flight in 2019. “In four months, we got all eight clearances,” he said, adding that a bidder for the project would be chosen by the end of the summer. The airport is a crucial part of efforts to push Mumbai development away from the sea, alleviating a metropolitan area whose roads and public transport are choked.
That project will include a road bridge — on the drawing board for more than four decades and taken up by the media as an example of in- frastructure delays and poor planning — as well as a new city on a 600 square km plot around the airport.
The broader plan will also include a new port outside Mumbai, reviving a project first mooted in 1996.
Fadnavis has travelled frequently over the last six months on a campaign to attract big investors, from Mercedes Benz to Foxconn.
He said the state was encouraging companies — from cars to technology — to come and to bring their suppliers along.
“We are importing almost all hardware — even in mobiles. Only 7% of mobiles are made in India, even though we are one of the largest markets,” he said, pointing out that one reason was the lack of a supplier network.