Narendra Modi vs the Dynasty: Contrasting Ideas of India

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 26 Apr 2014 14:29

New Indian Express ‏@NewIndianXpress 1h

I am not going to Varanasi. I will campaign in #Amethi and Rae Bareli only: Priyanka Gandhi

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 26 Apr 2014 14:30

I still don't believe that Sardarji had the guts and spine to say no, if Congress President would have asked him to resign and get out. The man is too much of a slave.
The fact remains They never wanted to expose Pappu to the heat and dust of being a PM. Then you can't even hide behind - Look I am so great. I am letting someone else run the country.

Why attack dynasty hiding behind Rabaart. This still makes the dynasty go scot free, Ab damadji karrupshun kartein hain, hum kya karein.

Vikas · Post by **Vikas** » 26 Apr 2014 14:32

pankajs wrote:
New Indian Express ‏@NewIndianXpress 1h

I am not going to Varanasi. I will campaign in #Amethi and Rae Bareli only: Priyanka Gandhi

Varanasi is Modi-land now. Campaign against him at your own political peril. Chances are your speech will be drowned in Modi Modi chant.

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 26 Apr 2014 14:35

Raghunath AS ‏@asraghunath 1h

नमो की जोरदा एंट्री से बनारस की चुनावी पटकथा चेंज! pic.twitter.com/DnKAL9cRGm

Modi's forceful entry has changed the story of Varanasi's election.

member_22539 · Post by **member_22539** » 26 Apr 2014 14:51

^Translation please.

James B · Post by **James B** » 26 Apr 2014 15:02

a_bharat wrote:R. Jagannathan of first post calls RG Rahul "Toffee" Gandhi.
#RahulToffeeGandhi

Jaggi is a true right winger. People like him should be nurtured & pushed into MSM as the voice of right wing ideas. I hope Team Modi takes care in pushing this narrative into MSM. We need more people like Jaggi in Media.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 26 Apr 2014 15:03

Retweeted by B B SOMANI
Neerja Prasad ‏@123crush 9m

Satta market is giving BJP & allies 317 seats .. Reliable source??

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 26 Apr 2014 15:04

Will Gujarat model work for India? For the most part, it will

http://www.firstpost.com/politics/will- ... 98099.html

But before we get to that, it is worth debunking the pretensions of our Left (ie, anti-Modi) intellectuals. They are actually little more than pamphleteers for the simple reason that they have subjugated their ability to think independently to their need for political patronage and power. This is what may be under threat if Modi storms into Delhi. But even if you do back a political party or ideology, you have to work with facts. This is manifestly not the case with our intellectuals, and two more genuine intellectuals - one anti-Modi and another pro-Modi - make the same points today.

...
Taking the example of Shiv Viswanathan, who took on Modi’s alleged lack of attention to tribal welfare by citing Amartya Sen’s human development index as a superior measurement of development, Bhalla points out the vacuousness of this argumentation: “No evidence is provided because once one mentions Nobel laureate Sen, no evidence is needed (for the intellectual).”

Patni · Post by **Patni** » 26 Apr 2014 15:07

Hmmm does anyone in congi circle have any idea of Ramayana at all? Just reading on MSM that some mandeep singh is saying daljitsing is a vibhisan of MMS's family for joining up with BJP!! mmm hello are you saying PM MMS/congi is ravana and on side of adharma lol well they are endorsing that BJP is on side of dharma.

James B · Post by **James B** » 26 Apr 2014 15:11

VikasRaina wrote:
vic wrote:Modi is being viciously attacked as some Business leaders are afraid that NDA will get simple majority and they will not be able to put pressure on BJP through small parties. TIMES NOW has done an about face from being biggest supporter of Modi to full scale attacks on him. Which Hindi channels are supporting him?
Of course we urgently need a right leaning news channel goes without saying.

India TV & Zee news can be turned into one. Both are Pro-Modi & Pro-BJP. They have decent ratings. 2nd and 4th position among Hindi channels but much higher than ELMs.

ELMs are mostly for discussion/agenda setting in Lutyens Delhi. I think that will change. More prominence will be given to vernacular media when Modi takes helm of affairs. That's why today ELM is butt-hurt. They are in pain that they are no more agenda setters in these elections. NaMo has totally sidelined them by giving exclusive interviews to vernacular media & avoiding ELMs. I read that IndiaTV with its first exclusive interview with NaMo in Aap-ka-Adalat has the highest TRP ever in the history of TV channels.

a_bharat · Post by **a_bharat** » 26 Apr 2014 15:24

Rahul and Priyanka : Dumb and Dumber.

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 26 Apr 2014 16:12

RajeshA wrote:ramana garu,

all this happened long before I delved into Indian politics. I guess at that time I didn't even know who Modi was.

I think, the skull cap has got nothing to do with Modi's fast, as that is independent of any Muslim custom. Few days back there was a photo of Rajnath Singh praying together with Muslims while wearing the skull cap, so I guess the Muslims drag everybody to pray with them, and all have to wear the skull cap while doing so. But I am not really informed about the finer details of the use of skull cap.

It needs immense conviction in self to not accept a tokenism in the full media eye. The furore is expected to be swift from biased media. This action among many made Hindus worship Modi even more.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Apr 2014 16:17

New Indian Express ‏@NewIndianXpress 1h

I am not going to Varanasi. I will campaign in #Amethi and Rae Bareli only: Priyanka Gandhi

well so much for the fond hopes of the TOI this past week "PG takes the lead" "PG tears into Modi" "PG wakes up" "PG enters the fray"....

if anything PG is even less deserving of any political office than RaGa who atleast has been a party gen secy for some time. PG is a pure looks play.

vic · Post by **vic** » 26 Apr 2014 16:27

Dynasty vs Modi is equivalent to Dying Mughal Empire vs Marathas. Dynasty will be finished but Marathas will have to chart their own course by facing emerging challenges in the world read China, Terroristans, Greeedy SAM etc.

vivek.rao · Post by **vivek.rao** » 26 Apr 2014 16:36

pankajs wrote:UCC implementation will raise a stink like no other in the Media while reworking Hindu temple control will not. Changes in Hindu law is such a common thing that it hardly ever front page news. Many Hindus who will vote for the BJP this time are the "live and let live" kind and will take flight at the first sign of stink.

His 1st term will be the most crucial. A steady stable development oriented and progressive 5 years will not only silence his critics but will lead to greater legitimacy of right wing politics in India. The right wing consolidation of votes is fragile and needs to be nurtured. The consolidation has occurred around the economic agenda and disruptive politics at this stage can only harm this consolidation. Even without provocation Modi will remain in the cross hairs of the Media and will be under immense scrutiny.

Is UCC of such importance that he will be willing to derail his economic agenda, the agenda that has lead to consolidation of votes in BJP's favour? Is it worth forcing the middle class, the ones who are attracted by Modis economic agenda, flee the BJP for a generation? Is it worth tainting right wing politics in the eyes of middle class, the live and let live kind, for perhaps a generation?

I would prefer Modi spends his time and political capital (1st term) to modi-fy Media which shapes the anti-hindu national narrative and provides space to anti-national.

Also Modi always prepares the ground. A lot of people need to be educated on UCC, issue debated and make sure most Hindus are convinced. As we have seen, many Hindus are willing to even embrace shariat if demanded. That is how clueless we are.

Right now, Sonia will keep funding AAP to derail Modi.

First priority - Development, Hope and destroy NGO/PAIDMEDIA/Industrialist networks.

anmol · Post by **anmol** » 26 Apr 2014 16:58

James B wrote:India TV & Zee news can be turned into one. Both are Pro-Modi & Pro-BJP. They have decent ratings. 2nd and 4th position among Hindi channels but much higher than ELMs.

ELMs are mostly for discussion/agenda setting in Lutyens Delhi. I think that will change. More prominence will be given to vernacular media when Modi takes helm of affairs. That's why today ELM is butt-hurt. They are in pain that they are no more agenda setters in these elections. NaMo has totally sidelined them by giving exclusive interviews to vernacular media & avoiding ELMs. I read that IndiaTV with its first exclusive interview with NaMo in Aap-ka-Adalat has the highest TRP ever in the history of TV channels.

Tehelka alums have already infiltrated other media groups after rapepal's arrest. For example:

https://twitter.com/kunalmajumder

patel · Post by **patel** » 26 Apr 2014 17:29

The fear is quite palpable in the DIEs watch how Bow-tie is shivers and wets his pants at the thought of Modi taking the gaddi post May 16th..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JC7hkFFiKTg

With the Accountability committee on the cards for the next government .. who knows how many skeletons might tumble out for all the DIEs and Congi stooges..

Hari Seldon · Post by **Hari Seldon** » 26 Apr 2014 17:32

a_bharat wrote:Rahul and Priyanka : Dumb and Dumber.

Oh, don't discount the mother of the phenomenon ~~madam~~ madumb chonia.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 26 Apr 2014 17:56

I find it interesting that even taslima nasreen is making quite a few pro-modi noises in her twitterfeed.

SriKumar · Post by **SriKumar** » 26 Apr 2014 18:05

VikasRaina wrote:Somehow everyone and his uncle believes that Bianca Vadra would have given NaMo run for the money only if she was willing to fight the elections and her only Achilles heel is Raabart. As if She is IG re-incarnated.
Truth be told, even IG would have found it hard to face a real Indic opponent like NaMo. People dont get it. NaMo is a leader like no one. He is once in a life time phenomenon.

This is correct. Even IG would have found it difficult to run against Modi.

Like all Managers, as long as you just indulge in sniper attack and hit and run tactics, you are counted as smart and genius. It is only when rubber meets the road and you need to talk about the policies and vision and future plans and nuts and bolts, the reality comes out..... Same for Ms.Vadra who can snipe at NaMo from a safe distance since she is not fighting elections and hides behind brother.

Quite right. This is exactly what our good friend Arvind Kejriwal used to do before the Delhi election. And this why it was good that BJP let him form the govt. and become CM and show everyone what he could actually do. It is very easy to snipe at people while doing nothing and you look very intelligent catching the 'weak points' of the other person. It impresses a lot of people, especially those who have not been in a position to lead or do actual work. Without a track record of doing some actual work, it is no different from where Kejriwal was in 2013. At that time most fell for his kahani, now some people know better ....thanks to the leadership he demonstrated (and if he had continued a bit more, most would have known).

pankajs · Post by **pankajs** » 26 Apr 2014 18:40

shaileshmanitripathi ‏@manishailesh 1h

In Gujarat we passed bill for reservation for women in local bodies. 3 times it was passed but Governor (a woman) stalled it: Narendra Modi

NitiCentral.com ‏@NitiCentral 5m

#NaMoIn3D They say tsunami is destructive. I agree with Congress. This tsunami will destroy those who have looted our nation.

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 26 Apr 2014 19:07

https://www.facebook.com/mehtarahulc/po ... ream_ref=1

US Govt isnt all that anti-NaMo, and proof is that US company is helping NaMo with massive 3D holographic speeches

Please see http://deshgujarat.com/2012/11/16/the-t ... -presence/ for that technology.

The 3D holographic speech delivery technology was developed by US-UK company, and it is so secretaive that company's name and contacts are barely known, but not at all accessible !!! That company has patents which has made it impossible for comptitors to create similar systems. It is said that US Govt (= CIA) owns a big chunk of that company. That company has offered the 3d speech only to NaMo and no other leader. Several leaders asked, but all were denied !!! Even movie stars were not given any access to that technology!! In India, NaMo and only NaMo is given access to that technology. How much is that company charging isnt disclosed officially.'

====================

Pls also see more at http://musion.co.uk/?portfolio=narendra ... paign-2014

twitter profile of co-owner of company which provided hologram sabha to NaMo = https://twitter.com/gpalma71

co-owner's name is giovanni palma !!! Looks Italian !!!

small world.''

The hyderabadi company which does footwork may be just a front of this US-UK company. I dont think that that hyderabadi company developed the tech or owns the tech.
======

MNC-owners have used AK to "convince" NaMo to continue Mauritus route, SEZ-tax-breaks , tax exemptions to FDI etc. But game has just started. In coming years, MNC-owners will further strengthen AAP and AK and use it as bigger threat to extract more and more concenssions from NaMo govt. And after NaMo sits on PM's positions, it will become further easier for paid-media to blame him for all actions of commission and ommission. So AK and AAP will have long life to come.

====

The reason why NaMo isnt asking for census-2011 religion data is because that data can perhaps show that conversions have drastically increased in Gujarat in past several years. This will weaken the faith people have in NaMo's image. Thats the reason why NaMo never demands disclosure of census-2011 religion/language data

====

It is official that Gujarat Govt made no scheme to measure efficiency of Municipal Schools, by tracking how far students reach after they leave 7th class. eg Govt made no efforts to find out how many passed 10th class, how many passed 12th class etc. Any company worth salt will try to find how successful its product are. Not only 100s of crores of rupees are spent, but students spend 7 years of their basic life !!! And Govt made no method to find whether those 7 years are used well or wasted away !!! I will try to that some of that data myself after election ends and disclose it via newspaper advt.

====

I have found a way to to expose Times of India etc. Those who wish to expose ToI can prepare advertisements on Bangladeshi etc and ToI to print them. ToI will decline and that will expose ToI without much expenses !! eg Times of India 's Ahmedabad Mirror refused to take my fully paid officially paid election advt !! see the advt at https://www.facebook.com/shares/view?id ... 0480576922 . I will be soon making several advt on explosive topic and asking Times of India to print them. Their refusal to print them will expose them. And if they print them --- fine --- more people got informed about relevant stuff that no one dares to even talk about.

====

NaMo says he wants to finish Congress. I wish he would also loudly say that he wishes to finished ToI. AFAIS, ToI is Congress of media, as much a nuisance . But ToI gets tons of money from Gujarat Govt !! Is it because ToI is threatening NaMo to give advt or face consequences? Anyway, I hope ALL Govt advt to all newspapers end. In this age of net and TV, Govt doesnt need to give any advt to newspapers and TV-channels.

====

Modifesto doesnt say that NaMo govt will repeal 2005 surrogacy law --- the law which made India a womb-rental super-powerl. Surrogacy is now 100 million dollar business, and some say that womb rental will exceed all exports together in few years to come. And the town named Anand in Kheda district, Gujarat is biggest surrogacy trading center in India. So I am presuming that NaMo knows about surrogacy business and doesnt plan to end it. Or, is there any proposal to end surrogacy business in India in Modifesto? Surrogacy law is crucial for suvival of west, because women their dont want to bear babies. So in years to come, surrogacy tourism will become booming business, and most western babies will be borne by Indian mothers. There was a murmur that BJP may end surrogacy law. But it looks like USA has prevailed.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 26 Apr 2014 19:13

It is self-assuring to observe that NaMo & his BJP team is not as weak & confused as we are. We get confused, overpowered by every news and lose hopes & forget that the war is not finished and there are more battles ahead.

On the other hand team BJP is running a year+ long war campaign fighting thru the battles they lose and gaining strength thru battles they won!

Kudos the team BJP & The next PM of India Sri Narendra Modi.

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 26 Apr 2014 19:16

Rahul Mehta wrote:https://www.facebook.com/mehtarahulc/po ... ream_ref=1

US Govt isnt all that anti-NaMo, and proof is that US company is helping NaMo with massive 3D holographic speeches

Please see http://deshgujarat.com/2012/11/16/the-t ... -presence/ for that technology.

The 3D holographic speech delivery technology was developed by US-UK company, and it is so secretaive that company's name and contacts are barely known, but not at all accessible !!! That company has patents which has made it impossible for comptitors to create similar systems. It is said that US Govt (= CIA) owns a big chunk of that company.

That company has offered the 3d speech only to NaMo and no other leader. Several leaders asked, but all were denied !!! Even movie stars were not given any access to that technology!! In India, NaMo and only NaMo is given access to that technology.

How much is that company charging isnt disclosed officially.

Chandrababu Naidu of TDP got access to this technology & is conducting some rallies using it.

We should study who is the dealer of this company in India and if his contract with BJP has some conditions in selling it to competition.

This is very natural in many business contracts. No need to have CIA level knowledge.

For example we were developing some s/w product and our first customer put a condition that none of his major competitors should get this s/w for three years. And I am yet to be promoted as CIA director.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 26 Apr 2014 19:19

Rahul Mehta wrote:https://www.facebook.com/mehtarahulc/po ... ream_ref=1

US Govt isnt all that anti-NaMo, and proof is that US company is helping NaMo with massive 3D holographic speeches

Please see http://deshgujarat.com/2012/11/16/the-t ... -presence/ for that technology.

The 3D holographic speech delivery technology was developed by US-UK company, and it is so secretaive that company's name and contacts are barely known, but not at all accessible !!! That company has patents which has made it impossible for comptitors to create similar systems. It is said that US Govt (= CIA) owns a big chunk of that company.

That company has offered the 3d speech only to NaMo and no other leader. Several leaders asked, but all were denied !!! Even movie stars were not given any access to that technology!! In India, NaMo and only NaMo is given access to that technology.

How much is that company charging isnt disclosed officially.

The record has been achieved by Raj Kasu Reddy and Mani Shankar who head the Hyderabad-based Nchant 3D(India), the company that was responsible for bringing alive the 53-minute long speech simultaneously at 53 locations across Gujarat on December 10, 2012.

http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/n ... s/1088462/

Politicians go virtual with 3-D tech

Putting it to good use are key political leaders such as N Chandrababu Naidu of the TDP and K Chandrasekhar Rao of the Telangana Rastra Samithi.

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/new ... 911908.ece

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 26 Apr 2014 19:23

This latest CT by Mehta Ji reminded of opposition to Bhakhra Nangal dam by some Jat leader who had said that water for irrigation will lose all its potency as power(by making electricity) has been sucked out of it.

member_28352 · Post by **member_28352** » 26 Apr 2014 19:24

Do the Bhumihars of Bihar have a problem with the BJP. If not then why is this fellow opening his mouth? http://www.rediff.com/news/report/ls-el ... 140426.htm
In addition if I am not wrong the don who is contesting against Modi, Ajai Rai, is also a Bhumihar.

gandharva · Post by **gandharva** » 26 Apr 2014 19:31

ShankarCag wrote:Do the Bhumihars of Bihar have a problem with the BJP. If not then why is this fellow opening his mouth? http://www.rediff.com/news/report/ls-el ... 140426.htm
In addition if I am not wrong the don who is contesting against Modi, Ajai Rai, is also a Bhumihar.

These r disgruntled persons. Bhumihar as a community knows reality on the ground. More than 90% will vote for BJP.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 26 Apr 2014 19:32

Rahul M wrote:I find it interesting that even taslima nasreen is making quite a few pro-modi noises in her twitterfeed.

Visa up for renewal or shooting for permanent residency aka citizenship onlee??

sunilUpa · Post by **sunilUpa** » 26 Apr 2014 20:01

Hari Seldon wrote:
a_bharat wrote:Rahul and Priyanka : Dumb and Dumber.
Oh, don't discount the mother of the phenomenon ~~madam~~ madumb chonia.

Dumb and Drunkard....

panduranghari · Post by **panduranghari** » 26 Apr 2014 20:29

Arjun wrote:
Subramaniam Swamy wrote:Thus, India — by unintended consequences of a relatively unfettered population growth — is now gifted with a young population. If we educate this youth to develop cognitive intelligence to become original thinkers, imbibe emotional intelligence to have a team spirit and develop a rational risk-taking attitude, inculcate moral intelligence to blend personal ambition with national goals, cultivate social intelligence to defend the civic rights of the weak, gender equality, have the courage to fight injustice, and the spiritual intelligence to tap into the cosmic energy (Brahmand) that surrounds the earth, we can then develop an intellectually more advanced species of human being; an Indian youth who can be relied on to contribute to make India a global power within two decades.
Well put by S Swamy.

It will attract the Indians overseas to return too. Considering the reduced opportunities in the west, the next government, I hope, would use this additional demographic lottery to undertake some path breaking reforms in healthcare. I am saying that Indian doctors will return to India from Britain (as NHS, which survives on government doles, is going bankrupt) and American healthcare, which is predominantly insurance based and supported by 100 trillion dollar derivative bubble) cannot survive the next global down turn.

Modi's team - if anyone of you are reading this please do take note. BTW, I did send them my opinions via their website. I hope they use this great opportunity, before other nations provide incentives for these doctors to go elsewhere.

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 26 Apr 2014 20:38

MMS as the guardian for 10 years whiel Rahul was nurtured.
10 years pass by and MMS is ready to retire. But what was guarded could likely slip out of hand.
Ouch! Sonia is going to be one bitter bitter woman.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Apr 2014 20:46

I do not see PG hacking it as a congi PM designate. too many complications like damad and children in the picture.
RaGa is AWOL.
so it will be the usual suspects like AKA,Meira Kumar, Sushil Shindeji as potential PM candidates.

all they need is "another MMS" Dhritarashtra. that should not be tough, because MMS has set the bar so low

the duryodhans and dushashans will have the real malai on the side.

member_28468 · Post by **member_28468** » 26 Apr 2014 20:48

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Apr 2014 20:49

indic fear/awe of fair skin and the gandhi mystique of distant power.

member_28468 · Post by **member_28468** » 26 Apr 2014 20:51

^^^^^So this was the scene at Amethi today. Heartening to see the excitement on the faces of the AAP workers.

But why does the guy in the centre look a bit like some lost cousin of Mr Vishwas ? Can we have some match fixing expert from BCCI investigate this please ?
Guess the photo is enough evidence to get them started!

Nevertheless, our heartiest wishes to the A and B teams of Congress on this reunion.

s swamy

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 26 Apr 2014 21:02

Singha wrote:indic fear/awe of fair skin and the gandhi mystique of distant power.

iow: indic state of subdued minds and the gandhian oppression thru proxy power

Virendra · Post by **Virendra** » 26 Apr 2014 21:05

NaMo looks marvelous (as usual) in 'Ghoshna Patra' at ABP News.
NaMo would also feature in 7 RCR tonight.

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 26 Apr 2014 21:12

NaMo should change the official PM residence. 7RCR sounds like horse race gambling den. They would have bugged it with help of their amirkhan pal.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 26 Apr 2014 21:24

Well since there is a controversy going on about Baba Ramdev's comments that Rahul Gandhi goes to Dalit homes for picnic and honeymoon, here is something that reminded me about honeymoon!

There seems to be a few similarities between Nehru and Rahul Gandhi. There is talk of Nehru being bisexual and that Edwina had pulled Nehru into a ménage-a-trois. Rahul too may have had something going with David Miliband, former UK Foreign Secretary.

It is at least known that they both once slept in one room one chilly night with thin blankets

Published on Jan 16, 2009
By Julian Borger
And this, foreign secretary, is your room: Miliband's long night in 'the other India': The Guardian

It was a brick shack with a thatched roof, a mud floor, a wooden door at the front, and gaping hole at the back. A cow rested in the straw outside. It was the sort of scene scarcely seen in Britain except in school nativity plays. But one day this little corner of Uttar Pradesh could emerge as a historical curiosity in its own right.

This hut was home on Wednesday night to two young politicians on their way up: David Miliband and Rahul Gandhi. They slept side by side on rudimentary wooden cots, or charpois, under thin covers in the January chill. Needless to say this was not part of the foreign secretary's normal diplomatic round. The private secretary and the red dispatch box had been sent to a nearby town leaving only security guards behind. There was not a canape in sight.

Gandhi, on home ground, clearly weathered it better than the visiting Londoner. "I have to say it was a pretty rough night," Miliband conceded in the morning. "The cows kept me up a bit."

It was a stunt, of course. These are, after all, politicians. But in their case it was not just a stunt. Rahul, son of Rajiv and grandson of Indira, is member of parliament for the area, and invited Miliband to spend a day out of a big-city tour of south Asia to go to "the other India" - Gandhi's rural constituency in Uttar Pradesh, the country's poorest state.

The two men have known each other for more than four years; they clearly see one another as soulmates. They are each from intensely political families, they are young in the trade (Gandhi is 38 and Miliband 43) and each has a reasonable shot at the top job. On top of that, they are both compulsive policy wonks.

It is the stock-in-trade of politicians to visit rural development schemes: dairies, schools, clinics and all that. The difference with these two is that they really seem to enjoy it. They stayed up until after midnight sitting under the stars and listening to accounts of country life from a village women's group.

For Gandhi, a far less flamboyant or imperious figure than his famous father or grandmother, rural development is the daily business of his political life as a Congress party MP, and he was showing off the undeniable progress made. "I wanted him to see the spirit of the poor people in India. It is no less than the spirit of the rich," Gandhi said.

Milband speaks often about people-to-people diplomacy, about making his job "more foreign and less office", and he seemed delighted to be putting theory into action, and to be getting away from politicians in New Delhi accusing Britain of being too soft on Pakistan.

He was particularly thrilled to see evidence of the new globalised, networked world spreading to the poorest corners. As the Miliband-Gandhi motorcade passed through one village it came to an unscheduled stop, enabling Miliband to visit one of the kiosks that sell mobile phones and operate as internet cafes.

India is rapidly leapfrogging technologies. With a decrepit landline system, its population is buying 8m mobile phones a month. In this remote, impoverished village with its thick drifts of refuse on the streets, the stallholder was selling five to 10 phones a day.

Miliband was keen to send his regular blog from here. But lack of money still restrains the residents' urge to connect with the wider world - the equipment was old and unreliable. After a few attempts, the dignitaries had to move on. The blog was sent by BlackBerry.

The motorcade bumped along the roads to classes where children were learning Hindi and English after a day's work in the wheat fields.

The politicians also saw an extraordinary eye hospital which does up to 60 operations a day using state-of-the-art equipment. Miliband donned scrubs and watched the surgeons work. Gandhi found investors for the hospital after discovering that 70% of the blindness he came across in rural areas could be fixed. The facility pays for itself with higher-income patients effectively subsidising others who pay £7 for a screening, the operation, a night in hospital, post-operative medicine and transport.

The evening was reserved for a meeting with one of the region's women's groups, who in recent years, on Gandhi's urging, have started to run small income-generating projects, forcefully resisting the predatory corruption of the local authorities and police. "These are really tough women. They will beat up the police if they think they are not behaving the right way," Gandhi said.

For security reasons, the name of the village was not revealed until the last moment, and decoy motorcades and events were laid on. The destination turned out to be Semra, a community of 200 households, where the only light on a moonless night was from gas lamps.

Miliband and Gandhi sat on rugs under a torn canvas shelter, and Semra's women spoke of income schemes, battles with the banks for micro-credit, the social safety net they built, and their ways of dealing with corrupt officials.

"In the past we would hide in our homes when they came to our vilalges, and we'd never heard of forming groups," one woman said. "If they try to ask for a bribe now, we will beat them up and push them aside. We'll fight whoever oppresses us. If they come to threaten us, we will beat them with our shoes. Their cheeks will be red."

They said that to escape poverty you needed money and courage; one without the other was useless. They treated Gandhi as a favourite son, deserving of affection rather than awe. "I met your father," recalled one old woman. "I also met your uncle. He was very skinny."

The evening finished with a song. Miliband had to wake at dawn to fly to Mumbai and deliver what was intended to be a landmark speech on terrorism. So he was ushered to the brick hut and a short night of bovine-bothered sleep.

He did not entirely escape questions on his political ambitions. A local journalist asked if he thought he and Gandhi would one day be national leaders. "We both know it is very important to focus on your current job rather than to think about your future job," he replied. On this day, at least, he seemed to mean it.

This was when Miliband came to India after Mumbai 26/11, and threw salt in wounds of Indians, saying we have to solve Kashmir issue.