Union Minorities Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju introduced the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, 2024, in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. This comes a day after their passage in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, despite strong resistance from the Opposition.
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00:00On this bulletin, our top story coming in from the Waqf Amendment Bill.
00:04The test will now be in the Rajya Sabha.
00:06Minority Affairs Minister Kiran Rijuji will present the Waqf Bill in the Upper House of the Parliament as well.
00:111pm stay tuned as India Today goes live.
00:13Following approval in the Lok Sabha, the Bill has been cleared.
00:16Upper House now braces for an intense debate.
00:19Both the Centre and the Opposition are preparing for a heated clash.
00:22What happens in the Rajya Sabha again will depend on the numbers.
00:26Let's take a look at the numbers then.
00:28The NDA holds 125 seats in a strength of 245.
00:33The Bill requires 119 votes to pass.
00:37The Government is confident it will garner support from smaller parties and nominated members.
00:42Opposition India Bloc will convene a meeting to strategize their approach to the debate.
00:58Earlier, people had a misconception that the Lok Sabha would pass 300 seats.
01:01Since 2018, people have started to think that the Government will continue to be a prisoner.
01:06How many issues will it pass?
01:08So I have full hope that we will not let this Bill be cleared in the Rajya Sabha.
01:13So that everyone can keep their seats full.
01:19Alright, so that is what has happened presently.
01:21You're looking at the visuals and the numbers coming in from the Rajya Sabha.
01:24In case you missed, it was yesterday at 2 am when the voting finally happened.
01:30Through the night, there was full on debate.
01:32In fact, in the Lok Sabha, it went on for 13 hours.
01:36The Waqf Amendment Bill eventually passed in the lower house of the Parliament.
01:39Out of total of 464 votes, 288 MPs voted in favour, 238 voted against the Bill.
01:46The Bill found support from the ruling BJP and the alliance partners.
01:50Opposition fierce criticism also continued.
01:53Amid all of this, Asaduddin Owaisi staged a dramatic protest.
01:57He tore the Bill, claiming it would make Muslims second class citizens.
02:24When I read out the pronouncement, court order, and observation of the court in the beginning,
02:31that the management of Waqf property and the constitution of the Waqf Board is legal and constitutional.
02:40I read out the court's observation line to line, and even after that I said it is unconstitutional.
02:49In 1954, after independence, this Bill was passed, and yet you say it is unconstitutional.
02:56If it was unconstitutional, then why didn't any court strike it down?
03:02That is why I want to say in this case, some words are like this,
03:07constitutional, unconstitutional, should not be used lightly.
03:13Democracy, some people were saying that democracy is over.
03:17When we use such words, we should also think that we are MPs.
03:24As a member of this body, we have to understand the meaning behind the words we use.
03:34If we use words lightly, what will the listener think?
03:39Many people said that it is anti-Muslim.
03:42Now tell me, how did it become anti-Muslim?
03:44Whether it is a Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian, every land belongs to the country.
03:50In that, if someone legally occupies the land, makes a declaration, makes a registration,
03:57everyone should welcome it.
03:59You are taking a step against Islam, against religion, against Muslims.
04:06Many people have repeated this again and again.
04:10I believe that when we are discussing in such detail,
04:14when we put allegations, we should not put allegations without reasoning.
04:21Our OSCE is very knowledgeable, he has raised many issues.
04:28He also put a claim that you are providing Waqf-e-Auladh among Muslims,
04:35why are you not doing it among Hindus?
04:37I want to tell him that in Hindus, there is a provision already.
04:41What is the need to make a separate law?
04:44In the practice of Islam, for women, for children,
04:50where there is a lack, to fulfill it, we are bringing a provision here.
04:56There should be a uniform in our country.
04:58Our children, our women, they are all citizens of the country.
05:02How can we leave them?
05:04This means that you will put allegations against us.
05:06What are you doing in the government?
05:08You are sitting with your face down.
05:10That is why I want to say,
05:12whether it is a widow, a divorced woman, or an orphan,
05:18we have provided for them.
05:20I have already given an explanation for this.
05:24This whole fight that is going on,
05:26you have kept non-Hindus, non-Muslims, non-Muslims,
05:33that fight is to interfere in time.
05:37First of all,
05:39no non-Islamic person will come in time.
05:47Understand this clearly.
05:49Neither Mutawalli will be non-Islamic, nor Waqib will be non-Islamic.
05:56There is no provision there.
06:00Those who run religious institutions,
06:04there is no provision to keep a non-Muslim person there.
06:09We do not even want to do it.
06:11That is why those who give big speeches,
06:15that equality has been lost,
06:17there is no equality between the two religions,
06:21there will be interference in the religious rights of Muslims,
06:26nothing is going to happen.
06:28If you look at it from this perspective,
06:30till 1995,
06:32there was no council or work board of time.
06:37That came in 1995.
06:40And the illusion that is created,
06:46that this act is to interfere in the religious activities of Muslim brothers,
06:54that is to interfere in the wealth they have donated,
06:58this is a very big illusion,
07:01to scare the minority,
07:03to create a vote bank.
07:09The word time has come from Islam.
07:11That is why we are saying,
07:13that time can only do what Islam has not done.
07:18Now you are opposing it.
07:20So you want a non-Islamic person even in time.
07:24What are you saying?
07:28We are saying,
07:30that time can only do,
07:32what Islam practises,
07:38because its creation is based on the principles of Islam.
07:44I want to say to Muslim brothers and sisters all over the country,
07:51that there will be no non-Muslims in your time.
07:56There is no such intention in this act.
08:14Pooja, the proceedings yesterday in the Lok Sabha has pumped up the India alliance of the opposition parties in the Rajya Sabha as well in the upper house as well.
08:31And that confidence is also coming from the fact that they were hoping,
08:35because the kind of coordination that the government has done,
08:38the numbers for the tally for the government in the Lok Sabha would be anything around 300 plus.
08:44So crossing the 300 mark.
08:46But the final tally was 288 versus 232 for the government and the opposition benches.
08:53Which means that the opposition is hoping that in Rajya Sabha,
08:57even though the BJP or the NDA government will be able to get a green signal for the Vakht Bill,
09:02but they will face a lot of difficulty in Rajya Sabha,
09:05or the majority, the voting, you know,
09:08it will be a very thin majority for the NDA government as far as the Vakht Amendment Bill passage.
09:13In the upper house is concerned.
09:14Not only that,
09:15if you look at the statements and the speeches and the arguments and the loopholes that the India bloc tried to pick in the amendment bill,
09:23Vakht Amendment Bill and the way Asad Devesi spoke in the Lok Sabha yesterday,
09:28he tried to attack the government on the technical issues.
09:31So similarly today,
09:32there will be a very thorough strategy by the India alliance MPs in the upper house to have the best of their speakers to,
09:39you know, attack the government,
09:42not only in the political stance,
09:43but also on the technical aspects of this particular Vakht Amendment Bill,
09:48and try to corner the government where it has a very thin majority in comparison to Lok Sabha.
09:53So that's going to be a strategy for the day.
09:55So I would say in the upper house of the parliament,
09:58it's going to be likely more interesting,
10:01but also will it be more scathing?
10:03Because you do have some good speakers coming in from the Rajya Sabha.
10:06Let's listen in to more reactions that have come in from other party leaders as well.
14:36Yes, we want the women's representation and representation.
14:52Is this a mistake? Is Modi ji making a mistake?
14:56You tell us, we want development.
14:58We want that when your family line ends,
15:04if there is a widow at that time,
15:06if there is a divorced woman at that time,
15:08ignoring her,
15:11at any cost,
15:12the property should not go to the Vakht.
15:17If Modi ji is giving protection to the women,
15:20ensuring them,
15:22then what is the problem for anyone?
15:24The concept of section 40,
15:26Vakht by user and oral Vakht was a potent cocktail,
15:31a potent cocktail that enabled the Vakht more to usurp any land that it wished.
15:36Sir, and those who had a problem with this,
15:39they were forced to go before the Vakht tribunal.
15:42And this Vakht tribunal was a kangaroo court.
15:45And the Vakht tribunal's orders were final.
15:49And you couldn't even go in appeal.
15:51And on top of this, you had the limitation act.
15:55If you are an aggrieved party,
15:57you had only one year to go before the Vakht tribunal,
16:00whose order was final.
16:02But if you were the Vakht board,
16:04you had no limitation act applied on you.
16:06Even after 500 years, 1000 years,
16:09you could go and start a claim.
16:11This was the Frankenstein monster that was created by the Vakht act of 2013,
16:19where the Vakht board was judiciary,
16:24legislature, executive, all rolled in one.
16:27There was no concept of separation of powers.
16:30Sir, leave aside the country,
16:31there is no other body in the world
16:34where you are the lawyer,
16:37you are the judge,
16:38you are the jury,
16:39you are the executioner.
16:40Such a Frankenstein monster was implemented by the Congress party
16:44through the Vakht 2013 amendment in this country.
16:48Section 107.
16:50On and from the commencement of the Waqf Amendment Act 2025,
16:56the limitation act 1963 shall apply to any proceedings.
17:20But the judgment is on their side.
17:24And today we have repeatedly said that the limitation act should be increased.
17:30Because this is a practical problem.
17:33But today they don't want it.
17:35Why?
17:36Because they want cases to be filed here and there in different corners of the country.
17:42So they want to break the environment of brotherhood that we have here.
17:48This is their political objective.
17:50J.P. Nadda will be speaking on the Waqf Bill in the Rajya Sabha at 1pm.
18:02Representing as one of the senior leaders of the party
18:05in the upper house of the parliament,
18:07J.P. Nadda, who is also the party president, remember,
18:11will speak on the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 at 1pm
18:15in the Rajya Sabha on the upper house of the parliament.
18:17Remember, this will be very important.
18:19Lok Sabha, like you saw, some of the top leaders of the BJP also,
18:24from the opposition, from the Congress and other parties,
18:26including OSC, all guns blazing.
18:29So you need the strongest speakers right now from either side.
18:33So J.P. Nadda, of course, will be leading the front for the BJP.
18:38Will it be Khadge from the Rajya Sabha?
18:40Or there could be any other senior leader who will open the debate
18:44when it comes to the opposition's perspective.
18:46But J.P. Nadda also taking a cue from yesterday,
18:49would have the points ready, would be scathing most likely.
18:54Amit Bhardwa joins me for the latest on that.
18:57So Amit, on expected lines, if it was the government
19:02leading even with Home Minister Amit Shah, Kiran Rijiju and others,
19:06it would be J.P. Nadda in the upper house.
19:12All right, Pooja, you know, every party,
19:15every side is ensuring that they have their best of speakers
19:18to speak on the walk amendment bill.
19:20And that is why, as far as the upper house is concerned,
19:23the BJP's list of speakers will certainly also feature J.P. Nadda,
19:28the BJP's national president, who will be speaking at 1pm today.
19:32That's what we are given to understand that
19:34amongst the prominent speakers from the Bharatiya Janata Party,
19:36J.P. Nadda, the national president of the BJP, will be speaking at 1pm.
19:40And it will be quite interesting to see as to
19:43how he carries forward the statement that has been given
19:46by the government in the lower house itself, in the Lok Sabha itself.
19:49Because if you look at the larger narrative of the government in Lok Sabha,
19:53it has been about as to how the Waqf Amendment Bill
19:56has been brought to give representation to the backward Muslims,
20:00to the Pasmanda Muslims, to women Muslim,
20:02and to also ensure that the mismanagement or rather,
20:07you know, the loot of the Waqf property does not happen any further,
20:11which was happening because of the loopholes in the Act of 2013.
20:15So we'll have to see as to how Mr. J.P. Nadda also takes this argument
20:20further and forward because the attack from the opposition benches
20:24and the India bloc to be specific, will be quite scathing in the upper house
20:30because their list of speakers also feature one of the best speakers
20:33that India Alliance have is in the upper house.
20:36You know, you'll have possibly Malika Arjun Karge, the leader of opposition.
20:39He could also speak.
20:40Imran Pratap Gadi of the Congress party is also there in the upper house.
20:44Sandhya Singh of Aam Aadmi Party.
20:45Sandhya Raut of Shiv Sena.
20:47So the list of, you know, speakers who are capable of taking on the government
20:53on several issues is certainly quite long in the upper house as well.
20:58So the BJP strategy seems to be pretty clear.
21:02Bring in your best of speakers in the list and J.P. Nadda to begin that,
21:06you know, clarification and carrying forward this statement
21:10that was given by the government in the Lok Sabha.
21:13So J.P. Nadda will, Mr. Nadda will speak in the Rajya Sabha today
21:16at 1 p.m. on the Waqf Amendment Bill.
21:18Stay on with me because remember it wasn't just about the Waqf Bill in the parliament.
21:22One of the big issues pertaining to our northeastern states
21:24that's been mired in an ethnic conflict for over two years now.
21:28Here's what has happened with regard to Manipur.
21:30Let's take a look at that.
21:32Lok Sabha adopted a statutory resolution confirming the imposition of president's rule in Manipur
21:38late into the night after the debate discussion on the Waqf Bill concluded.
21:43Members across party lines supported the decision
21:46but slammed government at the centre for the situation that continues to be in Manipur.
21:50The violence started after, remember, what was a tribal solidarity march, so to say,
21:56and it had violated the high court order led to a full-blown ethnic conflict
22:01where many people, especially women and children, have lost their life.
22:06Replying to a short debate, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said
22:08the government has taken all possible steps to bring back normalcy
22:11in the rest of northeastern state.
22:13He said there's been no violence in Manipur, he claimed, in the last four months.
22:17He's also said that talks are on both with the Meti and Kuki groups to have a peaceful situation.
22:23But the opposition is not convinced.
22:25They've slammed the government for how the conflict has turned into a bloody situation.
22:30Opposition is demanding restoration of peace and stability.
22:33Few opposition members also said that president's rule is not good for democracy.
22:37They're seeking strong intervention of the Home Minister to bring back normalcy in Manipur.
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30:27a brazen assault on the constitution is what Sonia Gandhi has now said.
30:33This remember is now one by one how leaders of the opposition are coming forth and Sonia
30:39Gandhi now will be remember today will be a focus on her because she is going to be
30:43in the Rajya Sabha.
30:44She is a Rajya Sabha MP now couldn't have much to say yesterday.
30:47Sonia Gandhi now says BJP's ploy for permanent polarization.
30:53Congress lost the Waqf Lok Sabha number game and this remember while was expected but it's
30:59led to a full-blown meeting.
31:03Joining me Amit Bhardwaj for the latest on that.
31:05Amit tell us more about what Sonia Gandhi is saying now and perhaps her presence could
31:10be crucial in the Rajya Sabha but Amit all of this she is saying it was a bulldozed bill
31:15but 13 hours of debate discussion all of that happened till mid in fact past midnight.
31:26All right Pooja you know yesterday the Lok Sabha passed the Waqf amendment bill after
31:30a very long discussion on the issue in every aspect of the Waqf amendment bill was in fact
31:36discussed in the Lok Sabha by the treasury benches as well as the opposition benches
31:41and the very fact that the timing was constantly kept on increasing and it was only after the
31:46midnight that the voting happened but this particular statement that we are speaking
31:50about so what has happened is that the Congress party had called the parliamentary party meeting
31:55today and Sonia Gandhi being the chief of the parliamentary party of the Congress party
32:00she was addressing the MPs of the Congress from Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha both.
32:05Remember this is right in the morning after the Waqf amendment bill was passed in the
32:10Lok Sabha and this particular bill is to be taken up in the Rajya Sabha today.
32:14So that statement is coming where she is very specifically saying that in effect the Waqf
32:19amendment bill has been bulldozed in the Lok Sabha it is a brazen attack on the constitution
32:24and beyond that as well Sonia Gandhi the chief of the parliamentary party of the Congress
32:30is saying that you know the BJP the intention of the Bharatiya Janata Party is to keep the
32:34entire society in a state of polarization constantly to keep the people in the society
32:40polarized constantly so these are major attacks coming from Mrs. Gandhi right ahead of the
32:47proceedings of the Rajya Sabha when the Waqf amendment bill is to be taken so it also suggests
32:52at the kind of strategy that the Congress party as well as the India Alliance MPs and
32:57even the MPs who are not on board with the BJP on Waqf amendment bill could be taking
33:02up but a very clear message that Congress is going to go full throttle because joining
33:07me right now BJP's Tom Varadkar joining me Mr. Varadkar good morning what do you say
33:13to this when Sonia Gandhi says that was passed the bill was passed in the Lok Sabha but in
33:18effect was bulldozed it's a brazen assault on the constitution itself yes it is a sleepless
33:26night for Sonia Gandhi and the Congress party which sold the constitutional rights of the
33:33people of India to have right to property the reality is this sold it out and our rights
33:42were compromised today when they find that the blame is on their doorstep they will react
33:48the way they react the kind of properties they gave away during their regime and they
33:54have actually empowered the Waqf board to do what they were doing today the country
34:02has woken up communities have woken up the Christians the Hindus the Muslims all have
34:08realized what the Congress party has done so sleepless nights with Sonia Gandhi and
34:14her team for having murdered the Constitution by doing what they did I mean they have they
34:21come with the Constitution in hand and claim that they're protectors of the Constitution but
34:26the reality is they have compromised the Constitution of India what happens do you
34:34think then in the Rajya Sabha today because right now also the numbers are stagged in
34:38favor of the NDA alliance partners but you've seen that like we had 13 hours long discussion
34:43and it was a discussion so to which Sonia Gandhi says it was bulldozed Rajya Sabha could also be
34:48very interesting this afternoon well we will go through the Rajya Sabha and with the same
34:56results will be in short because this is a question of the people of India this is not
35:01about a political party all communities have supported it Muslims have come out in support
35:06so have the Christians Hindus have supported it what more do we want when you compromise
35:13with the rights of the people against the Constitution compromising the Constitution
35:18then this is the kind of reaction that will happen so don't want to come thank you very
35:24much is the BJP spokesperson stating that it's the Congress having sleepless nights what they're
35:28calling is a bill bulldozed I take you now to the visit with regard to the BIMSTEC summit in
35:38Thailand where Prime Minister Modi has been now it's a about a two-day visit but India also
35:43busting Bangladesh PSYOPs at the BIMSTEC after Dhaka targeted India's Northeast remember the
35:49video that went viral about what you know said about China's expansion plan interestingly now
35:56Jaishankar has put out a strong rebuttal our external affairs minister says India's Northeast
36:02connectivity hub is with regard to the rail waterways and roads as well remember Dhaka
36:10had mocked that India's Northeast is landlocked there's no access by sea and then his words
36:16suggested if China should take this ahead external affairs minister says a super highway to link the
36:22Northeast the Pacific Ocean all of that is currently in plan so that's the big news coming
36:30in remember everyone was taken aback and surprised by how the leader of Bangladesh right now he has
36:37nothing to do either with India's Northeast or with China but was referring to how India's
36:43Northeastern states as they are called the sister states are landlocked only China has the access
36:50by sea India's Northeast does not and perhaps this could be taken ahead this is remember sent
36:57is not just with regard to what Indian observers who watched that video had to say but the world
37:02over especially tracking this relationship about why was Eunice so curious and so enthusiastic
37:08about how China could attempt to do it so that's what is presently happening and in external affairs
37:15minister Jai Shankar has also responded to it let's listen in to what the reactions are coming in on
37:21that seven states of India eastern part of India called seven sisters they are landlocked country
37:32landlocked region of India they have no way to reach out to the ocean we are the only guardian
37:37of the ocean for all this region so this opens up a huge possibility so this could be an extension
37:45Chinese economy build things produce things market things bring things to Nepal China bring
37:54it out to the whole rest the rest of the world that's a production house for you so that's the
37:59opportunity we should seize and we should implement we should get it done Nepal has unlimited hydropower
38:06which is a blessing Bhutan has unlimited hydropower that's a blessing we can bring it to our purpose
38:13who are setting up our factories and so on and from Bangladesh you can go anywhere you want
38:19because the ocean is our backyard so this is the opportunity that we want to take and not
38:25necessarily it will be something you produce and sell it to the world you can produce in Bangladesh
38:31sell it to China too so remember what he had said is Bangladesh and how because it has access as well
38:41to the sea can become an extension of Chinese economy the allegation that anyway has long
38:48surfaced against against Bangladesh especially this new government are they playing into the
38:54hands of China are they becoming a Chinese puppet but remember that when Yunus himself says it's a
39:00huge possibility we are looking at it could be an extension to Chinese economy why would you say
39:05that about your own country and then also suggesting how India's Northeast doesn't have
39:10any access to the sea and therefore doesn't have any possibility doesn't have any future to which
39:18External Affairs Minister says that they there are massive build-ups right now happening construction
39:24of the railways of the roadways of the waterways as well and therefore this is turning into a fully
39:30prosperous region and remember in the past few years especially the focus for Modi government
39:34has been the Northeast especially with regard to developments in road rail waterways a connectivity
39:40hub that it would then connect the rest of the mainstream as well of the country and to have
39:46that with the mainland and the northeastern states for example Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa
39:50Sarma also had a very strong word to throw back at Mohammed Yunus for what he had said why are we
39:57then discussing it at the BIMSTEC summit remember this is where Prime Minister Narendra Modi
40:01presently is from four to six and it's the Bay of Bengal initiative for multi-sectoral technical
40:07and economic cooperation it's an international organization seven South Asian Southeast Asian
40:12nations so we are talking about future of billions of people and therefore it becomes absolutely
40:18pertinent about how India projects itself when it comes to what the BIMSTEC summit is going to be
40:25where the member countries are India Bhutan Bangladesh Myanmar Thailand Nepal Sri Lanka all
40:30of this is an effort in many ways to counter China to not have China take over especially regions
40:36which are vulnerable and that is one of the reasons right now that India continues to take
40:42a strong view on that I'm now joined let's get an expert perspective on this Umesh Pandey is
40:48joining me and he is a trade representative as well Umesh if I'm correct you're also with regard
40:55to the office of Thailand trade representative that that you're joining us tell me more about
41:01this situation Umesh at the BIMSTEC summit the future of India's Northeast the future of how
41:09together the seven nations can come together and when a Yunus government and not the government
41:15the leader himself says there's no possibility only Bangladesh can become an extension to the
41:20Chinese economy how does one look at that thank you very much first of all I should say so at the
41:27it's my way of greeting people my Thai way of greeting people I'm of Indian origin but a base
41:32born and raised in Thailand so on political issue I don't think as a political office holder I am
41:40not not supposed to and I'm should not comment on political issues but on BIMSTEC if you're
41:47talking about BIMSTEC and if you talk about what the implications are the the seven countries as
41:53you mentioned earlier account for about just about two trillion dollars of economy and in this day
41:59and age when things are you know today the world is witness to one of the biggest what they're
42:05calling it as a you know tariff of the century literally then in this kind of a situation but
42:12with the tariffs globally India's slapped with 26 percent Thailand has 36 percent our region as a
42:20as a powerhouse what you're saying the seven seven countries that you just mentioned with
42:24the population of just about I think 1.7 billion people accounting for about 22 23 percent of the
42:31global population we could have an impact it's it should not be China versus India versus the United
42:38States it should be more of collaborative what I believe in today in this day and age with the
42:45administration is that the the region has to come together once you come together the likelihood of
42:53the impact of anything such as a tariff that have been imposed on all of us including I was just
43:00reading is Antarctica there we can try to mitigate that so in my view it should not be
43:08a territorial issue of Bangladesh, China, Thailand, India but in this day and age our message to the
43:16world as a Thai in Thailand is because we are the host this year that we can collaborate we can take
43:22it together let's go together work together to to overcome the adversaries that we are facing today
43:29back to you. The relationship between Thailand and India strong cultural connections historic
43:37connections as well I can only imagine the people to people bridge that Thailand and India have
43:43how are we looking at this relationship vis-a-vis trade in the backdrop of the the tariffs that have
43:49come in from Donald Trump and just basically to go ahead right now as two nations with with
43:54a bright future can do you see India possibly becoming as a bigger nation as a more stable
44:00economy as as a voice a leading voice when it comes to the BIMSTEC nations? You are you in the
44:08BIMSTEC grouping you are the leader you know you're the biggest economy India I mean India
44:13is the biggest economy with that kind of economic powerhouse that you are you are the future for the
44:20BIMSTEC region you have to be you have to take the lead and that is what Prime Minister Modi is
44:24doing while he's visiting my country today and tomorrow but the aim here is to try to push things
44:31forward there are many things discussed during the last BIMSTEC summit there are many issues that
44:36needs improvement you're you know value chain upgrading you're you know developing more
44:42interaction a more intra-trade so the global trade yes we account for 22 percent 23 percent of
44:48the global trade but the intra-trade between say suppose I'll take the example of Thailand and India
44:54the trade has grown but not to the level that we want to see there are ways we can improve there
45:00are things we can do we can take the free trade agreements further in this day and age the more
45:06we take these free trade agreements bilateral free trade agreements the better it is because
45:11this will help offset the problems that we're going to face from the likes of the US where
45:16most of these countries are going to most of us are going to face major obstacles in the next
45:21six to twelve months also then tell me my final question here because these are of course political
45:27diplomatic discussions it will happen on the cultural side given your Indian origins how do
45:33you look at all the cultural extravaganza that I am witnessing on our screens right now all the dance
45:38and the color that has come in as Prime Minister Modi arrives in Thailand and sadly must I say
45:43amid the whole earthquake aftermath but do you think there is a joyful moment that you see around
45:49you yes sure you know having Prime Minister Modi come here is is is good for us it's good for the
45:55bilateral relations between two countries culturally we have been connected for centuries
46:01thousands of years you can forget about centuries thousands of years correct most of the culture
46:05that we have in Thailand today is from Indian Indian culture we we have taken it obviously
46:11there's adaptation and other things that happen but culturally we are very connected people to
46:16people we have seen the highest number of tourist arrivals from India and thanks to the Indian
46:20people for for making yourself feel at home in my country I truly appreciate and I see that
46:27I was in India earlier this year and I said to to everybody wherever I was giving speeches I said
46:33last year we had 2.2 million Indian tourists into Thailand this year let's put the target at 3.5
46:38so yes we want we want more Indian tourists we culturally very connected food is kind of
46:45similar you know and most Indians love love my love my food so yeah it's a it's it's good to
46:51have that people to people connection and that eventually leads us to business to business
46:57connection if you have a bit of comfort in my country you will feel more comfortable being
47:04able to invest being able to trade being able to do things Thai people as as and I'm Indian
47:10origin person as you rightly said and we we tie we are more Thai than Indian when it comes to the
47:16nature we tie our ties are very kind of not so aggressive as the western countries are we we we
47:28treat Indian people as as brothers literally brothers sisters and that's that's that's
47:33something that the Indian that's lovely to hear and I think you you're correct that there will
47:38always be business and diplomacy but often it's the people to people connect that can make or
47:43break it often decides how geopolitics goes as well all right looking forward to these uh this
47:48visit of from 4th to 6th April Prime Minister Modi is there in Thailand right now and wishing
47:54a recovery as well to the people who were suffered in the backdrop of the earthquake thank you very
47:58much Umesh Pandey joining us he's from the office of Thailand government trade representative and
48:04talking about the visit but also the backdrop of what Eunice had said how can we ensure a
48:09collaborative effort instead of these seven countries as Asian countries Southeast Asian
48:14nations to come together as one force and can India become a bigger leading force and lead
48:20together as one voice of these BIMS technicians
48:29so these are the visuals live visuals coming in from Bangkok in Thailand just let's just dip in
48:36because I can already hear cheers as Prime Minister Modi alights from the aircraft and
48:41is on route now to the visit
48:48so that's Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving at the airport in Bangkok a ceremonial guard of
48:52honor that's being granted to him but remember like with the representative said just about a
48:58few moments ago that India is a leading voice when it comes to the BIMS technicians and when you have
49:03someone in Bangladesh who's leading the country who's instead busy promoting the Chinese economy
49:09a push for Chinese economy what can the BIMSTEC nations do instead to come together and not let
49:16China perhaps overtake or dominate the narrative right now we're talking about India Bhutan
49:22Bangladesh Myanmar Thailand Nepal and Sri Lanka together in Bangkok which is hosting this year's
49:29BIMSTEC summit this is remember the focus will be especially on sea the Bay of Bengal initiative for
49:35multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation BIMSTEC is an international organization and when
49:41you talk right now of maritime boundaries when you talk about how the war is as much a focus in the
49:47sea as it is on the land that is why one of the reasons is the development in each of these
49:52countries vis-a-vis the waterways will be very crucial that's one of the reasons India's northeast
49:58is being developed at a fast pace look at that the cheers coming in of Modi from Indian diaspora
50:05in Thailand many of them remember living in Thailand for generations now but strong Indian
50:11connect remains
50:18Prime Minister Narendra Modi walking out of the aircraft
50:35foreign
50:49the Gujarati dandiya to the folk dance from different states look at that
50:55India and all its diversity in Thailand remember like the panelist who was talking to us just about
51:00a short while ago said how over three over two million tourists from India have come to Thailand
51:06in just one year the past one year they are hopeful it will go about three million now but
51:12what an interesting visual here because each time this is of course not an isolated event people
51:19getting emotional overwhelmed teary eyes that they've been able to shake hands with Prime
51:24Minister Narendra Modi it's always a rousing welcome
51:30and this time as well remember from 4th to 6th of April Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be at the
51:35BIMSTEC summit and will be interacting of course as much with the politicians but also the focus
51:42will be business investments and to ensure that with India each of these nations can go together
51:50and remember this comes right after the announcement by Donald Trump
51:54so therefore the tariff also could possibly be a part of the discussion
51:58meeting the top delegation that is receiving the Prime Minister
52:05India and Thailand remember share strong cultural ethnic historic ties two countries have been
52:12alliance partners after this Prime Minister Modi will be his heading to Sri Lanka
52:21various programs aimed at boosting India's cooperation and the BIMSTEC countries he'll