Abhishek M. Chaudhari, Author at Fair Observer https://www.fairobserver.com/author/abhishek-m-chaudhari/ Fact-based, well-reasoned perspectives from around the world Sun, 29 Sep 2024 11:49:44 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 What’s in a Name? Port Blair Is Now Sri Vijaya Puram https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/india-news/whats-in-a-name-port-blair-is-now-sri-vijaya-puram/ https://www.fairobserver.com/world-news/india-news/whats-in-a-name-port-blair-is-now-sri-vijaya-puram/#respond Sat, 28 Sep 2024 10:33:51 +0000 https://www.fairobserver.com/?p=152447 The Indian government has officially announced the renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram, a move aimed at shedding colonial legacies and reconnecting with the nation’s historical roots. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah articulated the decision: “To free the nation from the colonial imprints, today we have decided to rename Port Blair as ‘Sri… Continue reading What’s in a Name? Port Blair Is Now Sri Vijaya Puram

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The Indian government has officially announced the renaming of Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram, a move aimed at shedding colonial legacies and reconnecting with the nation’s historical roots. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah articulated the decision: “To free the nation from the colonial imprints, today we have decided to rename Port Blair as ‘Sri Vijaya Puram.’”

In 2014, commenting on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s landslide victory under Narendra Modi, The Guardian published an editorial that remarked: “Today … may well go down in history as the day when Britain finally left India.” The author read the writing on the wall accurately. The process began in 2014, but Modi outlined it eight years later in his 2022 Independence Day speech, Modi introduced the concept of Panchpran (Five Resolutions), outlining India’s vision over the next 25 years. One of the key resolutions is to rid the country of any remaining “colonial mindset.”

This renaming is not merely a symbolic act but represents a fundamental rethinking of policy-making and the nation’s role on the global stage. The decision reflects a significant shift in mindset, moving away from colonial-era thinking towards a renewed emphasis on India’s historical and cultural identity.

In keeping with this goal, the Home Ministry has recently renamed several locations in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to honor Indian heroes and freedom fighters. One notable change is the renaming of a hill previously named after a British army officer’s wife to Mount Manipur, commemorating the resistance of Indian fighters exiled by the British.

The politics of symbolism

Renaming places is not a new phenomenon; throughout history, conquerors have imposed their names on cities, often erasing indigenous identities. Similar efforts are evident in other countries as well. For instance, in the United States, historic sites have been renamed to reflect their original cultural significance, such as Fort San Marcos, renamed Castillo de San Marcos to acknowledge its Spanish heritage. Likewise, in China, streets and areas have been renamed to reinforce a national narrative.

For a former colony like India, renaming places is a form of symbolic decolonization. It serves as a means of reinforcing a collective memory that honors resistance to oppression and celebrates autonomy. Yes, the decision to rename Port Blair to Sri Vijaya Puram is a symbolic gesture, but symbolism is not just words without effect. In politics, psychology and history matter.

This name change is part of India’s effort to reconnect with its maritime history. The Andaman Islands command a key choke point between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east. This places it close to the vital Strait of Malacca, the second busiest oil chokepoint in the world after the Strait of Hormuz.

Well before the oil trade, the islands were significant in maritime trade. They once served as a base for the Great Chola Empire, which extended its influence across Southeast Asia. In his book The Ocean of Churn, Sanjeev Sanyal highlights how the islands were connected to the broader history of maritime trade and power projection in the Indian Ocean. The islands’ geographical location made them pivotal for controlling sea routes, and they were home to thriving port cities, interacting with traders from across the Bay of Bengal and beyond. The renaming reflects a recognition of the islands’ historic and strategic role..

Moreover, Sri Vijaya Puram holds a crucial place in India’s struggle for independence. In the latter years of the colonial period, the city housed the notorious Cellular Jail where numerous freedom fighters were imprisoned. This site not only represented British oppression but also the indomitable spirit of those striving for freedom. One such figure, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, foresaw that the islands would be critical to India’s defense.

India develops the islands’ strategic potential

The 2004 tsunami brought international attention to the vulnerabilities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands but also showcased India’s capacity for disaster response and regional cooperation. In the aftermath, India led rescue efforts and initiated a tsunami early warning system, solidifying its role in maritime security.

In recent years, the government has launched substantial infrastructural projects aimed at transforming the islands into economic and strategic hubs. The introduction of undersea fiber-optic cables has improved connectivity, while the modernization of the local airport is expected to enhance tourism. Initiatives in eco-tourism and the development of deep-sea ports further underline the islands’ growing significance.

Sri Vijaya Puram is not yet the fully-fledged maritime stronghold that Savarkar envisioned, although India took an important first step in this direction in 2001, when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee established the first tri-service theater command in the region. However, the renaming is a statement of purpose. It signals a commitment to India’s maritime heritage while also highlighting ongoing efforts to enhance the Andaman and Nicobar Islands economically. This transformation under current leadership aims to position the islands as pivotal assets for India’s future.

[Anton Schauble edited this piece.]

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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Tech Should Be Shared, Not Protected: Towards Democratic Digital Governance https://www.fairobserver.com/more/science/tech-should-be-shared-not-protected-towards-democratic-digital-governance/ https://www.fairobserver.com/more/science/tech-should-be-shared-not-protected-towards-democratic-digital-governance/#respond Fri, 16 Aug 2024 12:51:59 +0000 https://www.fairobserver.com/?p=151816 The foundation of human civilization is agriculture. It was organized agriculture that allowed our nomadic forebears to settle down and create large settlements — cities — where the cultural arts could flourish. And, throughout history, the advancement of technology has been essential to the advancement of agriculture. When I was at my farm a few… Continue reading Tech Should Be Shared, Not Protected: Towards Democratic Digital Governance

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The foundation of human civilization is agriculture. It was organized agriculture that allowed our nomadic forebears to settle down and create large settlements — cities — where the cultural arts could flourish. And, throughout history, the advancement of technology has been essential to the advancement of agriculture.

When I was at my farm a few weeks prior, making a few little mobile payments on my phone, I understood this more than I could have expressed. Fifteen years ago, my farm manager and I were motorbiking from pillar to post to obtain farm credit, to withdraw the cash, to use it to buy seeds and fertilizers, to arrange a tractor to plow the field and sow the seeds and to paying laborers. It took us almost two weeks to prepare the farms at the beginning of each season. At harvest time, similar delays ate up still more time. 

But this year, it was all hassle-free and quick. India has rolled out a biometric ID system called Aadhaar. Every one of India’s 1.4 billion residents is able to sign up, linking their fingerprints, irises and face to a unique 12-digit code. Aadhaar has made it easy to obtain credit and make all payments through the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), an instant payment system run by the Indian state.

Another app draws on crowdsourced intelligence to help me select an efficient crop pattern, and yet another app tells me the weather forecast and suggests the right timing for sowing. My manager likewise can arrange all his logistics through his mobile only. It took less than three days, with almost zero headache, to make this happen.

Digital public infrastructure is revolutionizing India

Aadhaar, UPI and other tools like the Digi-Locker document storage system all are part of India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) ecosystem, dubbed India Stack. It has streamlined governance, reduced corruption, revolutionized transactions and empowered citizens.

A recent World Economic Forum briefing paper estimated that DPI could add over $65 billion of value to the Indian agriculture sector alone.

The story of India’s digital revolution began a decade ago. In 2014, most Indians had no unique form of proof of identity. This stopped them from accessing public benefits. So, the Narendra Modi government implemented Aadhaar, which the previous Manmohan Singh government had launched in 2009. Now, nearly the entire population has enrolled in the program.

Other India Stack programs have achieved great success. UPI has facilitated 241 billion financial transactions since its inception, and Digi-Locker has facilitated the issuance of 7 billion documents to 300 million users.

Digitalization is helping India bridge the divide between city and country, between rich and poor and between those who work in traditional trades and those who work in emerging fields.

India’s DPI provides open access, or free and unrestricted access to use of digital resources by everyone. This openness and the interoperability it brings give more options to both consumers and vendors. Interoperability enables scaling while making room for the unique requirements of specific local-national-global situations. 

At the G20 summit in New Delhi last year, India went big on her DPI success when Prime Minister Modi proposed a “Global Digital Public Infrastructure Repository” (GDPIR). GDPIR offers a virtual repository that collects and shares digital public infrastructure (DPI) tools and resources created by governments worldwide, including code and best practices. The repository aims to accelerate the development of DPIs globally, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, by providing access to proven digital solutions that support sustainable development goals. Its primary aim is to bridge the knowledge gap in the choices and methodologies required for the design, construction, deployment, and governance of DPIs. Currently, the repository contains 54 DPIs from 15 nations and the European Union.

In their book Four Internets, computer scientists Kieron O’Hara and Wendy Hall explain that the Internet is not truly open but really consists of four separate infrastructure systems upheld by different values. They call these systems the Beijing Paternal Internet, the Silicon Valley Paternal Internet, the Brussels Bourgeois Internet and the DC Commercial Internet. GDPIR, on the other hand, could be the basis for a truly open global Internet. 

Other countries are keen to adopt the DPIs due to their low cost and scalability. Currently, almost a dozen nations have chosen India’s DPI Modules, utilizing Indian expertise to construct their own national ID systems. For example, the Philippines and Morocco successfully launched Aadhaar-like programs themselves. 

The importance of DPI goes beyond the Global South. The EU–India Trade and Technology Council, the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue and even the Shanghai Cooperation Organization have acknowledged the importance of DPI for inclusive and sustainable development. In June 2023, Modi and US President Joe Biden made a joint statement that specifically mentioned the intent to create a “Global Digital Development Partnership” that would focus on enabling the “development and deployment of DPIs.”

For GDPIR to succeed, we will need to develop global standards, financing models and a multi-stakeholder governance mechanism. Inadequate safeguards and poor benchmarking could result in a malformed DPI. This could result in data breaches and other security risks, as well as intellectual property rights and privacy violations.

The world needs new norms to govern a digital infrastructure that facilitates the global movement of people, capital and information.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.

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