Shantanu Thakur says the Matuas are with BJP; Centre cannot frame CAA rules as the case is being heard by the Supreme Court.
NEW DELHI: Earlier last week, The Sunday Guardian caught up with Union Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, to discuss an array of issues regarding the Ministry, including passenger cruise services and privatisation of ports. Thakur, who is also an MP from the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat in West Bengal and the Head of the All India Matua Mahasangha, spoke on the long pending issue of the Matua community on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and whether the community is still loyal to the BJP. Excerpts:
Q: There have been concerns raised about the privatisation of several services and businesses of the government. We have also seen several decisions in your ministry in the recent past that led to privatisation of ports, berths in ports, and even services. The common man is asking, then what’s left with the public? What would you like to say about this?
A: Firstly, one needs to understand that most of the projects as far as our ministry is concerned are being implemented through the PPP (Public Private Partnership) model and this does not mean that the government is selling off everything; rather it means that the government in partnership with the private entities are working for faster services and development of better infrastructure. We have seen that by implementing the PPP model, works have been done faster. The government is focusing on governance and not on doing business and, therefore, quality of services and infrastructure will be improved.
In this Ministry, the port authorities are given the responsibility to oversee the functioning of the ports and the PPP model can be implemented for various works, in various departments in the ports, society development, development of coastal areas, among other things. There is a blue print for all this and it depends on the requirement and implemented accordingly.
The idea of our Hon’ble Prime Minister is to generate income through the “Blue Economy” and the vision behind the implementation of PPP model in the port, shipping and waterways is to generate huge earning for the country through this Ministry and in turn take the Indian economy towards the 5 trillion-dollar economy.
Q: The implementation of the PPP model in ports has shot up costs for ships that were docking at Indian ports; due to this, many are now moving to neighbouring countries where the costs are much cheaper than India. This is a loss of business for India. Is the ministry aware of this? Do you have a plan to address this issue?
A: Yes, the Ministry is aware of this, there have been some incidents in the past which you are referring to, but I don’t think there has been any significant number of ships or companies that have withdrawn their ships from docking in India or there has been a mass exit which could have caused a huge loss. But yes, there have been issues with some states and state governments making demands and other organisations and stakeholders in those states also putting forward their demand in terms of fees and charges. On many occasions, we have heard and acted on their demands as well. The port authorities are in talks with these organisations, they are holding meetings with all stakeholders. The Ministry is also discussing the issue with the respective state governments and very soon, we will be able to bring a balance and provide the best competitive rates and give the best of facilities.
Q: Passenger cruise services around the world are gaining much traction over the years and many Indians often go abroad to enjoy cruise rides. But it seems though India has vast waterways, beautiful landscape, it is missing out on giving Indians world class cruise services. This could even boost tourism in India. Is there any plan by the Ministry to develop infrastructure, for passenger cruise services in India?
A: I had in the beginning said that the vision of our Hon’ble Prime Minister is to generate a “Blue Economy” which will be significant in boosting economic progress in the country. The “Blue Economy” is borne by our Ministry and the passenger cruise is an important part of this “Blue Economy”. But the previous government (UPA) never thought about this. I believe it has huge economical potential and it would attract lakhs of tourists every year. To this regard, our Ministry is in the process of developing different types of infrastructure for this, especially in the southern ports of Chennai, Vishakhapatnam, Cochin, Goa, Mumbai, since these states have natural beauty and can turn into cruise tourist hotspots as well.
Q: You come from Bengal, but more often than not, we have seen that the eastern ports of India have been neglected over the years. As a Minister now in the shipping ministry, what have been your plans to develop the ports in Bengal and other eastern states like that of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh?
A: Coming to the Eastern sector, you will very happy to know that we have been able to successfully start shipbuilding facility in Kolkata. Through the Shayama Prasad Mukherjee Port Trust, which is our heritage, we have in Kolkata, set up the Hooghly-Cochin Shipyard Limited which will be building ships and in fact started building ships. This is a major development that has happened, since this was a heritage project which was close to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji’s heart and we are delighted to re-launch this project.
During the British period in 1884, ship building began here, but then after the British left and over time, with negligence from the previous government (UPA), it was shut down and turned into ruins. The redevelopment of this port is also significant because it is in close proximity with Bangladesh with whom we have a good trade relation and would further boost trade economy between the two countries. Moreover, this port would also aid the development of the North East region which is also very close to Modi’s heart.
Q: Since you are an MP from Bengal, member of the Prime Minister Modi’s council of Minister and also head of the All India Matua Mahasangha, it is pertinent to ask you when is the CAA going to be implemented by your government as members of this community are getting restless and even losing hope?
A: Our government has already passed the law in Parliament in 2019 and fulfilled the long pending demand of lakhs of Matuas, which no other government in the last 70 years has done. Now the problem is with the framing of rules, it is taking time because there was the Covid-19 pandemic for almost a year-and-a-half and then the opposition parties have filed a bunch of petitions against the law in the Supreme Court of India and the government will have to wait till a final order is passed on it by the apex court. The Central government cannot frame rules and regulations and laws when the case is sub-judice and is being heard by the top most court of this country.
The Supreme Court had asked for responses from the Home Ministry and the Ministry has already shared its responses with the court that this law is not about taking away citizenship from anyone, but it is about giving citizenship to the persecuted minorities from the neighbouring countries. Therefore, I am hopeful that within the next couple of months, the Supreme Court will come out with a favourable judgement and the Home Ministry will assess and frame the rules soon and that would benefit the people and especially the persecuted people. We are all waiting for this.
Q: With the Panchayat elections nearing and the CAA still to be implemented, don’t you think this could be a difficult issue for the BJP. I say this because the Matuas had both in Lok Sabha 2019 and Vidhan Sabha 2021 elections overwhelmingly supported the BJP. Will they continue with their support this time too?
A: Like I said before, it took India 70 years since Independence to fulfil the biggest and the only dream of the lakhs and lakhs of Matuas in this country, which is giving them permanent citizenship of India. Who has fulfilled this demand of the community? The BJP government–no other government over these so many years had the guts to pass this law, but our government, under the leadership of Narendra Modiji and Amit Shahji did it. If the CAA is implemented, not only Matuas, I believe every refugee from West Pakistan settled in Punjab and other places will also support the BJP, because it is only the BJP that has been able to give a permanent solution to our long-standing demand. If the CAA is implemented, I think Indian democracy will be further strengthened and it will help in the progress of the nation and therefore I believe the Matua community will not leave the hand of the BJP ever.
Q: But then, the TMC government in Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is saying that she will never let CAA be implemented in Bengal. What would the BJP do then?
A: The TMC government cannot run the state on its own whims and fancies, the law and rules framed by the Indian Parliament have to be followed by every state and West Bengal is a part of this country. An elected government, and an elected Chief Minister governed by the Constitution cannot say that she or her government will not follow the Constitution. This will lead to a constitutional crisis in the state, and for this, there are measures in the Constitution to deal with. Yes, she can differ with this politically, to gain her political points, but sitting at a constitutional post, she cannot go against the law and the Constitution and, therefore, I would not like to respond to such childish talk of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or her party.