Introduction: Nelson Mandela: Inspiring Life of a Heroic Leader | Biography and Legacy
Celebrating Nelson Mandela: Honoring the Inspiring Life of a Heroic Leader on His Birth Anniversary, 18 July Nelson Mandela International Day.
In this article, we delve into the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of Nelson Mandela, a renowned global icon born on 18 July 1918, Mvezo South Africa. From his humble beginnings in rural South Africa to his unwavering fight against apartheid and subsequent presidency, Mandela’s story is a testament to the triumph of justice, equality, and human rights. Join us as we explore the key milestones and significant contributions of this remarkable leader, whose unwavering commitment to peace and reconciliation continues to inspire millions around the world.
Early Life and Education of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela was born on July 18, 1918, in the village of Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa. Coming from the Xhosa tribe, Mandela grew up in a society deeply affected by racial inequality and oppression. Despite the challenging circumstances, he showed remarkable academic promise and eventually attended the University of Fort Hare, where he pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree.
Activism Against Apartheid
Mandela’s journey as an activist against apartheid began in the 1940s. He joined the African National Congress (ANC), a political party that fought for the rights of black South Africans, and became increasingly involved in advocating for racial equality. Recognizing the power of nonviolent resistance, Mandela played a pivotal role in organizing peaceful protests, boycotts, and strikes.
However, as the apartheid regime intensified its oppressive measures, Mandela realized that more robust action was necessary. He co-founded the ANC’s armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK), in 1961, leading a campaign of sabotage against government institutions. These actions ultimately resulted in his arrest and subsequent imprisonment.
Imprisonment and Robben Island
On June 12, 1964, Mandela was sentenced to life imprisonment for charges of sabotage and conspiracy against the state. He was incarcerated on Robben Island, a remote prison off the coast of Cape Town. Mandela’s imprisonment lasted for 27 years, during which he endured numerous hardships but remained resilient in his pursuit of justice.
While imprisoned, Mandela became a symbol of resistance against apartheid. His unwavering determination, coupled with international pressure, eventually led to his release on February 11, 1990, marking a pivotal moment in South African history.
Negotiations and Presidency
Following his release, Mandela dedicated himself to achieving a peaceful transition to democracy in South Africa. He led negotiations with then-President F.W. de Klerk, resulting in the dismantling of apartheid and the country’s first multiracial elections. In 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa, a historic milestone that symbolized the triumph over racial injustice.
Legacy and Impact
Nelson Mandela’s impact extended far beyond his presidency. His leadership and vision laid the foundation for a new South Africa built on principles of equality, justice, and reconciliation. Mandela worked tirelessly to promote social harmony and healing, establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to address the atrocities committed during apartheid.
His commitment to peace and human rights earned him international acclaim, leading to numerous awards and honors, including the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. Mandela’s unwavering dedication to freedom and equality serves as an inspiration not only to South Africans but to people worldwide.
Conclusion : Inspiring the World
Nelson Mandela’s life exemplifies the transformative power of perseverance and forgiveness. From his early activism to his presidency, his unwavering commitment to justice and equality continues to inspire a better future for all.
Nelson Mandela’s life journey embodies the indomitable spirit of a true hero. From his early activism to his remarkable presidency, he tirelessly fought for justice, equality, and human rights. Mandela’s legacy continues to inspire individuals and nations alike, reminding us of the transformative power of forgiveness, reconciliation, and the pursuit of a better world for all.
New Delhi: India celebrated a key milestone in its G20 presidency on Monday with the hosting of the 100th meeting of the grouping, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
The Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) in Varanasi is the 100th meeting of the grouping under India’s presidency that began on December 1 last year.
The second Health Working Group in Goa, the 2nd Digital Economy Working Group in Hyderabad and the Space Economy Leaders’ Precursor Meeting in Shillong are also being held on Monday, according to the MEA.
India’s G20 presidency will continue till November 30.
The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, T rkiye, United Kingdom, and United States) and the European Union.
The G20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world’s population.
Dublin: Visiting US President Joe Biden said he will run for the presidency again, the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE reported.
Before departing from Ireland at midnight Friday, Biden on Saturday told reporters that he has made up his mind to run for a second term and will make a formal campaign announcement soon.
The US President arrived in Dublin for a three-day official visit on Wednesday. During his visit, Biden met with his Irish counterpart Michael D. Higgins and held talks with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, Xinhua news agency reported.
Former US President Donald Trump, a Republican, who lost to Biden in the 2020 election but has refused to concede, announced his bid in November for presidency in the 2024 election.
Russian President Vladimir Putin taking on the rotating monthly presidency of the 15-member United Nations Security Council came just after a young boy was killed by artillery launched by Moscow’s invading forces, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Saturday.
“Unfortunately, we … have news that is obviously absurd and destructive,” Zelenskyy said in his daily address Saturday night. “Today, the terrorist state began to chair the U.N. Security Council.”
The Ukrainian leader announced that a five-month-old child named Danylo had been killed by Russian munitions in Donbas on Friday. “One of the hundreds of artillery strikes that the terrorist state launches every day,” the Ukrainian leader said. “And at the same time, Russia chairs the U.N. Security Council.”
Even though the position at the top of the Security Council is largely ceremonial, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called Russia’s presidency a “slap in the face to the international community” given the ongoing conflict.
The last time Russia held the rotating monthly presidency was in February 2022, when Putin ordered the brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
At present, in addition to the five permanent members, the U.N. Security Council also includes countries supportive of Ukraine such as Japan, Ghana, Malta and Albania, along with others such as the United Arab Emirates, Mozambique and Brazil which take a more neutral approach to the conflict.
In his Saturday address, Zelenskyy also said he had spoken with French President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Saturday. He also welcomed Switzerland’s decision — as another temporary U.N. Security Council member — to join the 10th sanctions package against the Russian state.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
New Delhi: Taking a swipe at the Narendra Modi government, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Friday that no other country has made its G20 presidency an “election campaign” as has been done by India.
“G20 has 19 countries + European Union as members. Its Annual Summit has been held in 17 countries & India is holding the 18th. No other country has made it an election campaign like India has, proving Mr. Advani’s insight on the man he prevented Mr. (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee from sacking,” he tweeted.
The Congress leader also attached a media report on BJP veteran L K Advani claiming in April 2014 that Narendra Modi was not his protege and was a “brilliant events manager”.
Prime Minister Modi had said earlier that India’s G20 presidency was a unique opportunity to showcase the country’s strengths to the entire world.
The G20 summit is not merely a diplomatic meeting, he had said, adding India takes it as a new responsibility and as the world’s trust in it.
The vice president’s role as Senate president has become almost entirely ceremonial, with the occasional exception of casting tie-breaking votes and — every four years — presiding over the count of electoral votes after a presidential election. Vice presidents have long suggested they should enjoy the legal protections afforded to Congress, but Boasberg’s ruling is the first time a court has extended so-called speech-or-debate immunity to the vice presidency.
Experts say the ruling — which remains under seal but was described to POLITICO by a person familiar with its contours — is an important foray into thorny, unresolved questions about vice presidential power.
“Any such movement is significant, as it sets a precedent that potentially can expand at a later time, in a different circumstance,” said Mark Rozell, a George Mason University political scientist who specializes in executive power. “The vice president is now acknowledged to possess a form of privilege by virtue of his or her legislative role, something that a president cannot claim.”
The ruling is the latest example of how Trump’s multi-year stress test on the norms and mechanics of the federal government has forced courts to answer long-dormant questions about the separation of powers.
The immunity question arose from special counsel Jack Smith’s bid to force Pence to testify before a Washington D.C. grand jury investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Trump opposed the subpoena on executive-privilege grounds, a position Boasberg rejected.
Pence did not join Trump’s fight but mounted his own, claiming that his role presiding over Congress on Jan. 6 should afford him speech-or-debate immunity.
Boasberg, the chief judge of the federal district court in Washington, agreed with Pence, at least to a limited extent: Pence must testify, he ruled, but the speech-or-debate immunity may allow him to avoid answering questions about his legislative role on Jan. 6.
Pence praised the ruling on Wednesday, even as he is considering whether to appeal it for not going far enough.
”For the first time ever, a federal court has recognized that these protections extend to a vice president,” Pence told supporters in Iowa, acknowledging the sealed ruling but saying he was “limited” in how much he could say about it. “I am pleased that the judge recognized the Constitution’s speech and debate protection applies to my work as vice president.”
The drafters of the Constitution included the speech-or-debate clause to guard against executive-branch efforts to coerce lawmakers with the threat of investigation or compelled testimony. But until this week, a court had never decided whether vice presidents — who are not members of the Senate but are officers like the parliamentarian — are covered by the protection.
The Supreme Court has said that immunity under the speech-or-debate clause covers “legislative” activities, such as voting on bills and giving speeches on the floor of Congress. For decades, the courts — particularly in Washington D.C. — have interpreted the clause to cover a broad range of activities connected to those duties, including the actions of congressional aides and officers who help facilitate the work of lawmakers.
The immunity, however, does not extend to purely “political” activities. So while Boasberg’s ruling may allow Pence to avoid testifying about his presiding role on Jan. 6, he might still have to testify about conversations he had with Trump leading up to that day, and he has indicated he is willing to do so.
Before Jan. 6, Trump pressed Pence to use his perch as president of the Senate to refuse to count Joe Biden’s electoral votes, either declaring Trump the victor or sending the election back to the states — an action Pence viewed as unconstitutional and refused to abide. He later returned to the chamber to complete the count of electors, all but sealing the Biden presidency. Trump famously attacked Pence on Twitter amid the chaos at the Capitol, an escalation that Jan. 6 committee investigators cited as a dangerous turning point in the day’s violence.
Two of Pence’s top White House aides — chief of staff Marc Short and counsel Greg Jacob — testified to the grand jury in October after then-Chief District Court Judge Beryl Howell rejected Trump’s similar bid to block their testimony via executive privilege.
Although Boasberg’s precise reasoning remains a mystery because of the secrecy surrounding the grand jury proceedings, legal experts called it a precedent-setting decision that could reshape the understanding of the vice presidency.
“Without seeing the opinion, hard to say much about it beyond the fact that it is clearly in my view correct that the VP enjoys speech-or-debate clause immunity when acting in her capacity as president of the Senate,” said Josh Chafetz, a Georgetown University constitutional law professor. “It’s also the case that the courts have consistently taken far too narrow a view, in my judgment, of what activities by members are protected under the clause, so I suspect that Boasberg ruled that Pence has to testify about some stuff that I would think ought to be privileged.”
Stan Brand, who helmed the House counsel’s office for Tip O’Neill and today represents top Trump aide Dan Scavino, said applying the speech-or-debate clause to a vice president for the first time is “a victory for the independence of Congress against an overreaching DOJ.”
The Justice Department has at least three times argued that vice presidents should enjoy speech-or-debate protection for their role presiding over the Senate — including in the context of Jan. 6, 2021, when the department adopted the position to fend off a lawsuit from then-Rep. Louie Gohmert and a separate Utah-based lawsuit filed in 2021.
The precise contours of the department’s position in the secret proceedings with Boasberg were not immediately clear.
The Pence immunity decision underscores the extraordinary volume of precedent-setting rulings that are being issued in secret — the result of the typical confidentiality afforded to the grand jury process in criminal investigations. Howell, whose seven-year term as chief judge expired on March 17, issued dozens of secret rulings in Trump-related matters that may have sweeping implications for the separation of powers.
Brand noted that some of the most significant rulings that have shaped the boundaries of the presidency, vice presidency and Congress have emerged in these sorts of proceedings as a result of national crises — from Watergate to Whitewater to the Vietnam War to Abscam.
“We are in the midst of another such episode,” he said.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron will face a moment of reckoning Thursday as lawmakers gear up for a final vote on the government’s deeply unpopular pension reform.
The controversial bill, a centerpiece of Macron’s second term, has sparked weeks of nationwide protests led by trade unions and faced intense criticism from both the far left and the far right in the National Assembly.
The French president wants to increase the legal age of retirement to 64 from 62 and extend contributions for a full pension in an effort to balance the accounts of France’s state pensions system — among the most generous in the world. According to projections from France’s Council of Pensions Planning, the finances of the pensions system are balanced in the short term but will go into deficit in the long term.
Despite government concessions on various aspects of the bill in recent weeks, opposition to the reform remains very high, with polls saying two-thirds of French citizens oppose it.
Speculation is running high that Macron might not have enough support in the National Assembly, and may choose a constitutional maneuver to bypass parliament — in a move that could unleash a political storm in France.
On Thursday, the French Senate and the National Assembly are expected to cast a crucial vote on the second reading of the bill, after the Senate voted in favor last week. The outcome will determine the shape of Macron’s second term and stands to bear heavily on his legacy.
The worst case: Macron loses the vote in parliament
Losing the parliamentary vote would be a stunning defeat for the French president, who pinned his bid for a second term on his promises to reform France’s pensions system. But political commentators have been speculating in recent days that Macron’s Renaissance party doesn’t have enough votes to pass the bill.
The French president lost its absolute majority in the National Assembly in parliamentary elections last June. He has since been forced into making ad-hoc deals with MPs from France’s conservative party Les Républicains. But the once-mighty conservatives appear split on the reform, despite assurances this week from their leader Olivier Marleix that there was “a clear majority” backing the bill.
A defeat in parliament would have seismic and long-term repercussions for Macron’s second term and it is likely that the president’s trusted lieutenant Prime Minister Elizabeth Borne would have to resign in such a scenario. Party heavyweights however say they will not shy away from seeking a vote.
“There will be a vote, we want a vote, everyone must take its responsibilities,” said Aurore Bergé, leader of the Renaissance group in the National Assembly.
“There can be an accident … we’ll manage it as we can,” admitted Jean-Paul Mattei, a centrist MP who belongs to Macron’s coalition, with reference to a defeat in parliament.
However, this is the most unlikely scenario as expectations are that the government will bypass a vote if they sense that they are short on votes.
Protestors hold an effigy of French President Emmanuel Macron, during a demonstration on the 8th day of strikes and protests across the country against the government’s proposed pensions overhaul in Paris on March 15, 2023 | Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images
Pretty bad: Macron bypasses parliament and loses credibility
In the face of a potential defeat in the National Assembly, Macron has a nuclear option: invoke article 49.3 of the French constitution. This mechanism allows the government to force through legislation without submitting it to a vote.
While the constitutional maneuver may seem like an easy way out, it’s a highly risky move as it allows lawmakers to table a motion of no confidence within 24 hours. Macron’s government has faced down motions of no confidence in the past but the stakes are much higher this time around.
Beyond surviving a motion of no-confidence, Macron and Borne will also come under fire for refusing to submit to the democratic process.
According to Frédéric Dabi, general director of the IFOP polling institute, the impact on public opinion if the government uses the 49.3 article as opposed to passing a tight vote in parliament would be “radically different.”
“Public opinions on the 49.3 article have changed … it is regarded as a tool to brutalize the National Assembly: it’s now seen as authoritarian instead of merely authoritative. People want more transparency, more democracy today,” he said.
France’s hardline unions would no doubt use this to stoke unrest and call for further strike action.
Trade union leader Laurent Berger has warned the government against using the 49.3 article, saying that it would be “incredible and dangerous.”
“Nobody can predict what will happen, the protest movement seems to be running out of steam, but if the government invokes article 49.3 it could be read as forcing the issue and may relaunch the protest movement,” said Dabi.
Still not great: Macron wins vote but faces mass protests
If the French president wins the vote in parliament, it’ll be seen as a victory but one that may completely drain his political capital, and whip up protests on the streets.
“It’ll be a victory for Macron, but it’ll only bear its fruit in the long term. In the short term, he’ll face a tense country where relations have become very strained,” said Chloé Morin, a writer and political analyst.
Trade union leader Berger has said that he would “take on board” the result of Thursday’s vote in parliament. But protests, which have been almost weekly since January, may continue nonetheless across the country in an effort to force the government into backing down and withdrawing the text.
Morin thinks it is unlikely there will be “an explosion of protests” after the vote as people are resigned to seeing it pass.
French police officers intervene during a protest by local council employees against the government’s retirement reform in front on the prefecture in Seine Saint-Denis, in Bobigny, a surburb of Paris on March 14, 2023 | Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images
“However, the protest movement might become more radical with lightning protests or sabotages, led by a minority in the citizens’ movement,” said Morin.
In October last year, industrial action in France’s refineries led to nationwide shortages at petrol stations, forcing the government to intervene in what was seen as Macron’s biggest challenge since his re-election last year.
There are dangerous precedents for Macron too. In December 2019, the government was forced to abandon a new green tax when faced with the explosive Yellow Vests protests that shook the political establishment.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.eu )
As the fighting continues to rage, both sides of the Atlantic fear that Russia is finding its footing, Ukraine may be overmatched in certain parts of the east and south and the West’s pipeline of weapons will slow to a trickle.
Biden leaves Monday for Poland to meet with President Andrzej Duda and other key NATO leaders. U.S. officials believe that Ukraine’s defense is about to hit a critical phase with Russia launching its much-telegraphed offensive. The Biden administration has urgently pressed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s administration to consolidate its gains — and perhaps launch its own counterstrike.
The White House has also told Zelenskyy’s team, per multiple officials, to prepare for the offensive now, as weapons and aid from Washington and Europe flow freely, for fear that backing from Ukraine’s European neighbors could be finite.
In Washington, support for Ukraine has remained largely bipartisan, though some in the administration fear that it may be harder to send additional aid to Kyiv amid mounting resistance from the new Republican-controlled House. For now, though, even some of Biden’s fiercest critics salute the work he has done.
“He’s been good about connecting our national interests to the fight and that it’s good for the world for Russia not to be successful,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in an interview. “It’s going to be one of the decisive moments of his presidency.”
Biden’s trip to Poland comes just days ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, a date which many military analysts believe Putin, fond of symbolism, may mark with a show of force. Aides have explored attempting to covertly get Biden across the border in Ukraine but a trip has been all but ruled out. The president is one of the last Western leaders who has not made the journey, which would require a 10-hour train ride or a daring flight. But most aides believe the security risk to Biden or Ukraine would not be worth it.
Biden will underscore the need for the West — and voters back home — to stay the course with Ukraine and he will tout the need for both alliances and American leadership on the world stage, aides previewed. But his speech will also reflect the duality of the moment.
On one hand, it will celebrate Ukraine’s remarkable resistance. But it will also acknowledge the continued vulnerabilities. Despite Kyiv’s successes, Russia still controls nearly 20 percent of Ukraine and the conflict has slowed to a brutal war of attrition. Moreover, Putin shows no signs of wavering in his vow to control all of Ukraine, according to American officials. In the best estimation of U.S. intelligence, Putin believes that despite the setbacks his military has faced, Russia still has two decisive advantages: manpower and time. European intelligence officials further assess Putin feels confident he can wait for an inevitable break in Western resistance.
Though the Russians have suffered heavy losses, they still have far more troops than Ukraine to send into combat, including ex-prisoners being pushed into battle by the mercenary Wagner Group. That group has shown surprising success at the front, per U.S. officials, while displaying little regard for the casualties suffered.
Facing little domestic pressure to end the war, Putin is operating as if he can outlast the Western alliance. Some in the Biden administration believe Putin will continue the onslaught — and could launch another massive mobilization of men — until at least the U.S. 2024 presidential election, hoping a candidate less convinced of the Ukrainian cause proves victorious. Former President Donald Trump has openly called for the war to immediately end to prevent it from escalating, even though that would allow Russia to keep its gains. And recent polling suggests that American voters’ willingness to send arms and weapons to Kyiv has slipped.
“I think the jury is still out on whether [Biden] can keep NATO unified,” said retired Brig. Gen. David Hicks, who commanded all U.S. and NATO forces tasked with training and advising the Afghan Air Force. “It’s only going to get more difficult going forward. Ukraine will have to show results with the aid they have received.”
To this point, the capitals of Europe have largely remained in lockstep supporting Kyiv despite the economic and energy challenges stemming from the war. In Washington, the Biden administration believes the funding Congress passed at the end of last year should carry Ukraine for much of 2023 and has been encouraged so far that the GOP leadership on Capitol Hill has continued to publicly support Kyiv.
At the Munich Security Conference, arguably the world’s premier defense-focused forum, Zelenskyy on Friday rallied the West to help Ukraine’s “David” defeat Russia’s “Goliath.” “Speed is crucial,” he said, alluding to a quick tempo of weapons handovers, because Putin “wants the world to slow down.”
But there is a small, yet growing, faction within House Republicans questioning the need to fund Ukraine.
“There’s never been a blank check with respect to supporting Ukraine,” acknowledged National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who stressed in a briefing Wednesday that the administration would stand with Kyiv for “as long as it takes” to repel Russia. “We’re proving every single day that this isn’t just about some moral or philosophical effort.”
Still, lawmakers supportive of Ukraine’s cause expressed confidence that both chambers will continue to back the effort.
“The overwhelming majority of Congress –– both Democrats and Republicans –– continues to be in lockstep on the need to provide assistance to Ukraine because we know what happens if Ukraine falls,” said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Europe panel. “Bipartisanship in Congress and continued coordination with our allies is essential as we move forward to support Ukraine because this is about more than Putin –– this is about sending a message to any dictator who threatens democracies that they will pay a severe price.”
In recent weeks, Kyiv has relentlessly called for equipment it believes it needs to contend with a larger war. It has received a pledge of Western tanks, though most will not reach the battlefield for months or even years. But, to this point, Ukraine has been rebuffed in its ask for fighter jets. A more pressing need has arisen as Russia intensifies its onslaught: ammunition.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg recently warned that the Russian offensive has already begun and there are signs that the fighting has increased. There is real concern inside the White House about Europe’s ability to provide artillery ammunition and other aid to Ukraine. The continent’s defense-industrial base is stretched and some countries already say their stockpiles are tapped.
On stage in Munich, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz addressed the issue, calling for “a permanent production of the most important weapons we are using.” French President Emmanuel Macron followed right after arguing Europe must “invest more in defense. If we want peace, we need the means to achieve it.”
The comments made clear alarm bells are going off in Europe’s power centers. “The war has exposed profound deficiencies in European countries’ capabilities and weapons stocks,” said Alina Polyakova, head of the Center for European Policy Analysis in Washington, D.C. “The concern is that they already don’t have enough to supply Ukraine and restock at the same time. And whether the U.S. defense industry can pivot fast enough — many think that it can’t.”
While European capitals are looking at Washington to fill the gap, the administration has pushed back at allies to do more, noting that the war could stretch well into 2024 and beyond. Administration officials insist that they will not pressure Ukraine to negotiate, even as some diplomats have speculated that a deal could be put forth to restore the borders at the start of the war: Ukraine would regain its territory in the east and south but Russia would keep Crimea.
In a private Zoom meeting Wednesday with outside experts, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Ukraine’s recapture of Crimea is a red line for Putin. That’s one reason why the U.S. is encouraging Kyiv to focus on where the majority of the fighting is, even if Washington still says any and all decisions on countering Russia are Ukraine’s decision alone.
But the reality Biden will confront in Poland is that Zelenskyy has made clear that he will not negotiate until all of Ukraine’s territory is restored — all but ensuring that the war will stretch into the distant horizon.
“We’re in this for the long-haul and it’s going to grind on for quite some time,” said Rachel Rizzo, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center. If Western support starts to fade away, “there’s no denying that it will have an effect on both the outcome and the length of the war.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Standing at a rough wooden podium with the words “Stine corn” carved into the front, next to a still-up Christmas tree and an enormous stone fireplace, he spoke without any notes and hit on his favorite themes about how woke capitalism is destroying the country.
“We were taught that you satisfy a moral hunger by going to Ben and Jerry’s and ordering a cup of ice cream with some social justice sprinkles on top,” he told the crowd, a line he repeated multiple times during his trip to Iowa. “But we’ve learned in the last couple of years that you cannot satisfy that moral hunger with fast food. And the good news is I think we’re getting hungry again. And I think there’s an opportunity to fill that hunger with something deeper.”
Ramaswamy was there to do what people with ambition, a thirst for the spotlight and an overflowing sense of self-confidence occasionally go to Iowa to do. He is exploring a run for president, testing, among other things, whether his warnings about the dangers of “wokeism” and socially-responsible investing — in business vernacular what’s called environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing — has political currency with Republican politicians, business leaders and, yes, farmers.
Ramaswamy has a theory for how this will all go. He wants to pull off what Donald Trump did in 2016: enter the race with an entrepreneurial spirit, unorthodox ideas, and few expectations, and end up developing a major following that will carry him to the presidency — even if it seems like a long shot at the moment.
But making a fortune in biotech investing is different than glad-handing with Iowa small business owners or withstanding a barrage of attacks from Trump.
And at the farmers dinner, Ramaswamy showed both the promise he’d bring to the field and the difficulties he’d encounter in trying to stand out among a crowd of former cabinet officials and sitting governors. As much as the GOP likes outsiders and businessmen, there’s still a natural skepticism of people who have no political or government experience whatsoever, especially when so much of the prospective field will likely have a track record of conservative governing, like Trump or Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
While Ramaswamy received a warm response, he also copped to me soon after his speech that he couldn’t recall the name of one of the top GOP bigwigs in attendance. It was Terry Branstad, the legendary former governor of Iowa and a political kingmaker in the state, who is friends with the dinner’s host. (Ramaswamy has since become good friends with Branstad, getting meals with him in multiple cities and frequently texting with him and his son.)
Branstad, for his part, said he was willing to give Ramaswamy, who is framing his bid as an effort to revive national identity, a chance. “Iowans are very open minded, and they’re very willing to listen and make up their own mind.” But he also noted that most Iowans “don’t know about” what ESG is.
The son of Indian immigrants — his father a General Electric engineer and his mother a geriatric psychiatrist — Ramaswamy was born in Cincinnati. He attended Harvard for undergrad and then Yale Law. He made his name first by becoming a successful biotech entrepreneur and developing medicines, including five drugs that became FDA-approved. More recently, after writing two books and traveling the country, he started Strive, a new asset management firm that competes against the likes of BlackRock but differentiates itself by telling companies to stay out of politics.
Ramaswamy doesn’t necessarily want to run on his businessman track record. Instead he is planning to launch an ideas-based campaign focused on revitalizing the American spirit and bringing back a culture of merit into society.
“I believe that I’ve developed a vision for American national identity that I have deep conviction for and is the product of my own journey of having lived the gifts that this country has afforded me,” Ramaswamy said as he munched on veggie enchiladas at a Mexican restaurant in an Iowa strip mall. “And the combination of both doing it intellectually and having personally experienced that vision of our nation makes me well suited to articulate that and deliver on it.”
His metamorphosis into culture warrior came, he said, because his elite-educated business peers would often say one thing in private, like they were fed up with virtue signaling and social activism, yet still towed the progressive party line in public. Faced with what he saw as a combination of duplicity and cowardice, he felt compelled to defect from his peers and speak out.
And speak out he has. He’s made hundreds of appearances on cable news and become regarded as one of the intellectual godfathers of the anti-woke movement. In turn, the prospects of entering politics became more and more alluring.
He first considered pursuing elected office in 2021, when he weighed making a bid for Senate in his home state of Ohio. He eventually chose not to.
“One of your main jobs as a senator is to make laws, and I came to understand that many senators were not interested in engaging in that job,” he said. “Their goal was to get on cable television, and I was already on cable television.”
Ramaswamy insisted this trip to Iowa and other prep work he’s doing for a potential run are serious; this isn’t a play for attention, he said. He has already fashioned a policy platform: defeating China economically, firing the “managerial class” of the federal government, drastically changing or shutting down large numbers of federal agencies, reforming the national security apparatus and shunning affirmative action. He says he is plotting out his potential cabinet too, impressed with the intellect of former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the likes of Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), former Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds. (Pompeo, however, seems to have a different White House position in mind.)
What may be his most vital political asset is the resources he would bring to the race. Ramaswamy’s net worth is reportedly in excess of $500 million, enough to seed his campaign through the key early states.
For the time being, he’s embarking on test runs and fact-finding missions. On the first day of his Iowa trip, Ramaswamy spoke to a group of Iowa Republicans. Iowa State Senate President Amy Sinclair introduced him, calling herself a “Twitter groupie” and plugging his books. The next day, he made an appearance at the Land Investment Expo in Des Moines, where he spoke to a crowd of 2,000 farmers and other people working in agriculture. Several people approached him after to urge him to run for president. One couple from Kansas, Renae and Peter Hughes — wheat farmers who also work as a CPA and banker, respectively — told him “you have our vote.” Renae told him he was “a breath of fresh air.” Ramaswamy responded by telling the couple, “Hopefully we can translate that into action.”
Ramaswamy said he has had similar receptions on his 20-stop tour for his book “Woke Inc.: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam.” He said all of the compliments had been “humbling” and led him to believe he should give the presidential campaign a shot. That he’s even found himself on this path is a testament to how central fighting culture wars and the perceived malevolence of wokeness has become in the Republican Party’s id.
“I think the GOP has a historic opportunity to answer the question of what it means to be an American at the moment where we lack a national identity,” he said. “I’m grateful that many Republican governors and other leaders have borrowed my message and woven it into their policy agendas. But when it comes to who leads our country next, I believe that it’s going to take a leader who shares his own vision, not someone else’s, and that’s what calls me to do this.”
Ramaswamy’s self-confidence barometer is off the charts. When talking to his Iowa host Bruere, Ramaswamy speculated that if he were to jump in the race and start polling well, DeSantis might reconsider running. (To be clear, we’ll sooner see snow in Miami.)
But all the self-confidence in the world doesn’t change the fact that, for now, Ramaswamy is an interloper on the political scene. When he was in the Iowa State Capitol, he received a friendly reception on the House floor from Iowa House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl. But Iowa Republican State Rep. Anne Osmundson told me she didn’t know who he was. When I told her he was in town to talk about ESG, she asked me whether he was for or against it.
At an evening reception with Iowa politicos of both parties that night, Ramaswamy eagerly worked the room but was met with some surprise from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), who asked him why he was in the Midwest.
“I’m from the Midwest, I’m from Ohio,” he gently replied, before getting into a substantive conversation about ESG, what “Scope 3” emissions are and how it’s hard for farmers to calculate their contributions to climate change.
In a brief interview afterward, Grassley was complimentary about Ramaswamy but told me that the average Iowan won’t care about ESG “for 10 years until it starts affecting them.”
“Knowing the problems that this ESG thing is causing for agriculture, I consider him a breath of fresh air and a real person needed to bring common sense to this whole discussion,” he said. But does Ramaswamy have a future in politics? “I don’t think he wants a future in politics,” Grassley said. “I think he wants to make the free market work, and ESG is counter to the free market.”
Since his Iowa trip, Ramaswamy has continued to take steps that someone prepping for a long-shot presidential bid might take.
Ramaswamy’s growing team now consists of nearly 20 people, including former Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Kathy Barnette to lead his potential grassroots efforts and Tricia McLaughlin, who led communications for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s 2022 reelection campaign, as his press secretary. He’s hired Republican operative Rex Elsass’ political consultancy, based near Ramaswamy’s home in central Ohio, to run his potential operation, and Elsass’ top deputy Ben Yoho is expected to serve as “CEO” of any future campaign.
At a gathering of Hillsdale College donors in late January, there was applause when the college president, Larry Arnn, asked attendees if they thought Ramaswamy should run for president. He delivered a speech at a Judicial Watch annual gala where Donald Trump spoke the next night. He also gave a keynote at the Council for National Policy conference at the Trump Doral resort last week, where DeSantis spoke on another evening. Last week, he spoke to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics in Manchester and is slated to appear again in New Hampshire on the 22nd and Iowa the following day.
Despite his daunting chances of success, Ramaswamy does seem likely to take the plunge. His wife, Apoorva, who he said would be an “excellent” first lady, has told him that “her gut instinct” is that if he joins the race, “there’s a very good chance that you’ll win so make sure you’re ready for that.” He’s only slightly less optimistic.
“You know, maybe all of this is ill-advised and I’ll fall flat on my face,” he said. “I don’t think that’s gonna happen.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
SRINAGAR: The University of Kashmir is set to host a two-day C20 Working Group Meeting on ‘Gender Equality and Disability’, a mega event that draws national and international experts to formulate Policy White Papers for discussions on the G20 platform.
Civil-20 or C20 is the Official Engagement Group of G20 providing a platform for civil society organisations, NGOs and policy-planners to engage important stakeholders and address the root causes of “gender inequality and disability”.
The event being held at KU’s Gandhi Bhawan on February 13-14 comes amid the University’s selection from amongst 15 premier institutions in the country to host Youth20 events as part of India’s G20 Presidency, a significant milestone in the varsity’s imprint and visibility on the national academic landscape.
The C20 GED WG Meeting focuses on policy dialogues concerning two sub-themes including “Women’s Safety” and “Engaging Men and Boys”, besides highlighting ‘Udharaan’ as a successful intervention to address gender inequality. It also envisions evolving a grassroots approach to create pathways for improving women’s access to legal aid and other social support systems. A special focus of deliberations will also be on gender concerns related to specially-abled women.
National and international Coordinators and Co-Coordinators of C20 GED Working Group are among 50 delegates expected to join deliberations in both online and offline modes. Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is coordinating the event.
Vice-Chancellor KU Prof Nilofer Khan, who is personally monitoring the arrangements, said it is a historic occassion for the University to be associated with events related to the country’s G20 Presidency.
“It is recognition of the University’s commitment to not only promote our national policies and programmes but also to advance the country’s G20 goals and objectives,” she said.
The Vice-Chancellor has already constituted a task force of academics and officers to oversee arrangements for the February 13-14 event.
Notably, the University of Kashmir has been chosen amongst 15 premier institutions in the country to host a Youth20 event, marking a significant moment in its history and transition to come up as an institution of excellence in the country. Youth delegates from G20 countries are scheduled to attend the Youth20 event in the second week of May 2023 at the University’s main campus.
