How Narendra Modi outmatched James Bond with his seaplane stunt

Watching Narendra Modi being taken in a seaplane from the Sabarmati river in Ahmedabad to the Dharoi dam in Mehsana district on Tuesday I was reminded of James Biggles Bigglesworth and his cousin Algernon Algy Lacey heroes of a series of novels for young readers written by WE Johns. My memory of those books is hazy but I recall Biggles flew chartered seaplanes between the two world wars and fought in World War IIas an RAF pilot. Looking up online I found covers of novels like Biggles Defies the Swastika and Biggles in the Baltic that depict those planes. That tells you something about the vintage of the technology employed in seaplanes.Seaplanes also appear frequently in the adventures of Tintin created by the Belgian cartoonist Hergé mainly from the 1930s through the 1950s. We see them in The Crab with the Golden Claws The Shooting Star and King Ottokar s Sceptre and perhaps others I can t remember. The popularity of Hergé s hero a reporter who does precious little reporting has waned less rapidly than that of Biggles. Steven Spielberg s recent motion-capture and animation feature The Adventures of Tintin in which a seaplane features prominently did fairly well at the box-office. It was clearly a period piece with period technology and the seaplane fit right in.As far the history of aviation is concerned the seaplane is a curiosity whose best days are far behind it. Its potential as a mass carrier died with the Spruce Goose a gigantic wooden boat plane designed by Howard Hughes which retains the world record for the longest wingspan of any aircraft ever flown. The Goose made a single trial flight before being mothballed WWII having ended during its development.Limited useThe seaplane form has some uses today in water rescues as transport in remote areas and as part of the infrastructure of exclusive island-based tourism but the rapid expansion of landing strips has left it playing a very marginal role. Seaplanes might have become popular among amateurs and hobbyists had they not looked so boring. The only one I ve seen that seemed cool appeared in the worst James Bond movie ever made 1974 s The Man with the Golden Gun. It was an amphibious Republic RC-3 Seabee that had been designed in the 1940s but seemed more contemporary thanks to its funky oval cabin. Thirteen years later a more conventional plane appeared in The Living Daylights. Timothy Dalton might have been the worst James Bond of them all but the stunt with the seaplane is among the best in any Bond film. Being chased underwater by a bunch of divers Bond shoots a harpoon into the side of a taxiing plane then skis barefoot behind it while dodging machine gun bullets hangs on to a float as the plane takes off enters the cabin throws one man out and subdues the pilot.This might seem like a typically implausible James Bond scene but it doesn t hold a candle to the stunt Narendra Modi pulled off last Tuesday. Consider this: Modi spent a large amount of money perhaps coming from our taxes in hiring a seaplane when he could have got the job done as easily with a locally available helicopter. One of the two foreign pilots a man who looked like his last job was an arms drop over El Salvador couldn t be bothered to wear full-length trousers for the flight ignoring protocol entirely. The other man was in pilot s uniform making for a weird mismatch. Modi boarded the airplane as if it was a supersonic jet-fighter rather than a product built from decades-old technology. Flight of fancyModi touted it as potentially a revolutionary addition to India s transport network despite a cost per passenger per trip that would put it out of bounds for everyone except the very affluent. He not only had most of the mainstream media applaud all this but also accept his party s false claim that this was the first ever flight by such a craft in the country .Donald Trump said during his election campaign that he could stand on New York s Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and still not lose any voters. Narendra Modi is his equal in every way. He can sell the old as new the niche as mass the imported as indigenous and the exorbitant as economical. One can hardly blame him for having no regard for facts given how long he has successfully sold the lie as truth. Written by RITU SHARMA Parimal A Dabhi | Ahmedabad | Updated: December 13 2017 9:47 am On the last day of election camping for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly Elections PM Narendra Modi took a sea-plane from Sabaramti riverfront Ahmadabad to visit Ambaji temple. (Express Photo: Javed Raja) Related News Gujarat Assembly elections: Congress hopes for 2017 chemistry but it faces an uphill 2012 arithmeticStrong undercurrent against BJP a big shift is coming here: Rahul GandhiGujarat Assembly elections: I hereby declare Pankajbhai Chimanbhai PatelEnding his high-octane campaign for the second and final phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections Tuesday Prime Minister Narendra Modi boarded a seaplane from the Sabarmati Riverfront the BJP s symbol of vikas in the state to fly a route that touched several constituencies and gave him a vehicle to drive home his message. The seaplane took off from the Sardar Patel bridge side around 11 am to land at Dharoi Dam site in Mehsana around 11.25 am in Sabarkantha district. Modi then left for Ambaji temple in Banaskantha district by road. Modi flew back to Ahmedabad by 3 pm landing on the Sabarmati again after which the plane circled the river and flew along the east bank which comes under the Jamalpur-Khadia constituency where the BJP is facing a tough fight. People shouted Modi Modi released saffron and green balloons as the plane cruised on the surface of the water. Finally Modi emerged amid beating of drums wearing the red khes of the Ambaji temple. Speaking at the last public meeting on the riverfront Monday evening Modi had said: This (seaplane) is a first experiment in Hindustan. It is an experiment to strengthen tourism in future. Actually BJP wanted me to do a roadshow tomorrow. But the administration has not given permission. And I have time so decided to take blessings of Ma Amba. I have not visited Ma Amba after becoming Prime Minister and therefore I want to go there tomorrow. So this experiment of sea-plane (is) also with the blessings of Ma Amba. Opinion | PM s Gujarat campaign shows the politics of hope has been replaced entirely by the politics of fear In an election where the Congress is banking on what it hopes is a coalition of the disgruntled and a patchwork of castes Modi reached out to OBCs (Baxi Panch) today through the Baxi panch morcha at the district mandal and shakti Kendra levels via audio from the party headquarters in Kamalam Gandhinagar. His message to partymen: I come from a lower (chhota samaaj) section of society have grown up among the lower sections of society and so would like to do big works for them. Banaskantha district has a significant OBC majority and is a district where Congress won five of nine seats in the 2012 Assembly election. The BJP is hoping to break into this Congress bastion. Read | Gujarat Assembly elections: Congress hopes for 2017 chemistry but it faces an uphill 2012 arithmetic Appealing to Gujaratis to strengthen his government at the Centre Modi tweeted No Gujarati will let go of a golden opportunity of development of our youth and coming generations. Victory of BJP is a guarantee for a bright future With the Government of India and Government of Gujarat working together the strength rises manifold. This 1 1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights . Earlier Modi told his party members via the audio link: Former governments gave lectures on Mandal Commission but did nothing. Banks insurance companies and even PSUs like ONGC had no provisions for OBCs. We brought about regulations so that OBCs got equal opportunity be it the Thakors or the Prajapatis. We cannot have any section of the Baxi panch community lagging behind . He added: Recently we have taken up the huge task of dividing the OBCs into sub-categories for which a commission of retired judges has been set up. This is to ensure equal opportunity to all OBC categories. The commission will submit its report soon . Both BJP and Congress in their manifestos made special references to nomadic and denotified tribes under the OBC category. The BJP promised to build them pucca houses and provide hawking zones to those earning a livelihood selling wares on handcarts. The Congress has promised to appoint a commission to consider giving them a separate quota. Both the parties are looking at consolidating OBC votes which make up at least 40 per cent of the total electorate. Signing off his Gujarat campaign with a series of tweets Modi urged people to vote for the BJP and said: I am devoting my life for the betterment of crores of people of Gujarat and India. He also took on the Congress: The lies that our worthy opponents have spread about Gujarat Gujarat s growth and about me personally is something I had never imagined. It is natural for every Gujarati to feel hurt. People of Gujarat will give a fitting reply to the negativity and lies of the opposition . The second and final phase of voting which will take place on December 14 will cover 93 Assembly seats. The first phase covering 89 seats took place on December 9. The results will be declared on December 18. For all the latest Elections News download Indian Express App More Related News Gujarat Assembly elections: Turnout falls in Surat s Patel seats Muslim-majority booths Gujarat Assembly elections: In tribal seat of Bhiloda contituency BJP pitches local ex-cop vs longtime MLA Tags: Gujarat Assembly Elections 2017 Narendra Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew in a seaplane from the Sabarmati River to Dharoi Dam in Mehsana district and then travelled by road to Banaskantha district to offer prayers at the famous Ambaji Temple today the last day of campaigning for the Gujarat Assembly polls. Modi boarded the single-engine seaplane from near the Sardar Bridge connecting the old city with Ahmedabad West the first-ever flight by such a craft in the country to Dharoi Dam in north Gujarat. A special jetty was constructed to facilitate the prime minister s boarding from the river. From Dharoi Dam he reached the temple by road after covering a distance of around 50 km. On reaching the temple town he greeted the people who had gathered on the roadsides leading to the shrine in large numbers to have a glimpse of the prime minister and waved at them. At the temple Modi performed puja of Goddess Amba Mata and took blessings from priests. He spent around 15 minutes in the temple before returning to Dharoi Dam from where he would leave for Ahmedabad by the the seaplane. Today is the last day of campaigning for the second and final phase of voting which will take place on December 14 covering the remaining 93 assembly seats. The first phase of polling covering 89 seats took place on December 9. GANDHINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will once again visit Gujarat on Thursday the second final day of polling in the assembly election to cast his vote. Many other senior state and national leaders will also be here to cast their votes. Modi who returned to the national capital on Tuesday after extensively campaigning for four consecutive days and having practically made Gujarat his home for more than a month will come to Ahmedabad where he will cast his vote at Nishan Vidyalaya in Ranip area. Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah too will be in the city to cast his vote from his former assembly constituency Naranpura. He had vacated the seat to contest for a Rajya Sabha seat from the state. Another Rajya Sabha member from BJP representing Gujarat - Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will be in city to cast his vote from Vejalpur region of Ahmedabad. Former Deputy Prime Minister and senior BJP leader L.K. Advani too will be in Ahmedabad city to cast his vote from Khanpur area. The sitting MLA from Abdasa and Congress candidate from Mandvi Shaktisinh Gohil will be casting his vote in Gandhinagar. State Congress President Bharatsinh Solanki will exercise his voting right in Borsad town of Kheda district. Another Congress candidate Siddharth Patel will be casting his vote from Dabhoi. NEW DELHI: As campaigning for the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections came to an end Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made an emotional plea to the state s people. With the Government of India and Government of Gujarat working together the strength rises manifold. This 1 1 is not 2 but 11 and together we will take Gujarat to new heights PM Modi said. In remarks that held a tinge of nostalgia the PM recalled that it had been three and a half years since he got the honour to travel across the length and breadth of Gujarat to seek the blessings of the people. During my travels across Gujarat the level of affection I have received from the people is unparalleled in my 40 years of public life. This affection gives me strength and motivates me to devote all my time for India s development he said. He urged the people of the state to come out to vote in large numbers in the second and final phase of the elections on December 14. I am devoting my life for the betterment of crores of people of Gujarat and India. Have been fortunate to always ge... https://t.co/9PX9gs6Ezh Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1513078227000 I call upon the people of Gujarat to not only give the BJP an overwhelming majority but also ensure that BJP wins in every polling booth across the state he said. He charged the Opposition with spreading unimaginable lies about Gujarat Gujarat s growth and about me personally even as he stressed that the state would respond to the negativity and lies in a fitting manner. In his appeal to the people PM Modi also invoked Gujarati pride saying that it is natural for every Gujarati to feel hurt in the face of the alleged falsehoods being spread. No Gujarati will let go off a golden opportunity of development of our youth and coming generations. Victory of BJP... https://t.co/BoDfLAZl7P Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) 1513078204000 Read this story in Gujarati Ahmedabad: Patidar quota agitation spearhead Hardik Patel on Monday took out a roadshow in Ahmedabad despite police denying permission for it and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for linking the elections to Pakistan which he said was a lie .He also criticised the BJP for talking about Ram Mandir Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan during electioneering instead of the future of the local youth.The Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti (PAAS) convener also called upon people from different communities to come together to defeat the arrogant BJP .Earlier in the day Hardik took out the 15-km-long roadshow from Bopal area of Ahmedabad.Hundreds of his supporters took out the rally on motorcycles and four-wheelers through the main city area even as the police said they will take legal action against Patel for holding the roadshow without permission.File image of Hardik Patel. PTIHis supporters especially youths from the Patidar community gathered at various places on the way to greet him and express their support.The roadshow culminated in Nikol locality where he addressed a public meeting. (Modi said) people came from Pakistan and discussed Gujarat elections. Stop telling lies. What has Pakistan to do with Gujarat elections? People who talked about development have again gone back to talk about Ram Mandir terrorism Jammu and Kashmir Pakistan but did you see them talk about development? Patel told a gathering at Nikol.Addressing a rally in Palanpur on Sunday Modi had claimed that leaders of the Congress had held a secret meeting with current and former Pakistani dignitaries a day ahead of Mani Shankar Aiyar s neech jibe against him.He also claimed there was an attempt by Pakistan to interfere in the Gujarat polls.The PAAS has extended support to the Congress in the polls on the assurance of quota given by the Rahul Gandhi-led party if it forms government. They (BJP) do not talk about how to create jobs for youths all they do is talk about Hindu-Muslims India- Pakistan to divert people s attention and speak lies Patel claimed. Saheb (Modi) has been making long speeches but did not utter a word about the condition of the people here or about the plight of diamond traders who are affected by the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax he claimed.Nikol area has a number of diamond polishing units.Earlier Ahmedabad Police Commissioner AK Singh said that the police had not allowed Hardik to hold the roadshow in the city. We had not given permission to Hardik Patel to hold the roadshow in Ahmedabad but from the kind of rally that has been taken out by his supporters in the city area we do see that it is violation of the condition and we will take legal action Singh said.Continuing his diatribe against Modi Patel claimed that the prime minister had said that he did not need Patidars to win elections. I had thought that saheb will talk about how he can help Patidars or how to improve the future of jobless youth. I thought he will visit the houses of the Patidar youths who were killed (in 2015 agitation) to express condolences and give them assurance. But no. He (Modi) says he does not need Patidars to win elections (as) he will get the support of OBCs SCs and STs but this is not the fight of Patidars alone but for the whole of Gujarat the quota spearhead claimed.Patel told the gathering that he didn t care whether the BJP wins or loses the elections. All I want to tell you is that make sure that our votes are meant for the the future of our kids he said.He said all communities including Patidars have raised their voice in unison saying that they wanted change not only in Gujarat but in the entire country. I call upon you to bring that change Patel said.He urged the audience to understand the value of their votes . We will have to understand this...time is changing...people will not get education our future is bleak we will have to spend lakhs on education. Inflation is skyrocketing while jobs are hard to come by Patel said.Taking a dig at the BJP he said development did not mean only nice roads but it meant that everybody gets free education and jobs with honesty so one can live with pride. You have to show the power of the people. Hardik Patel is nothing and can only fight when you are behind me. It is not just reservation but I m here to fight even for diamond workers and traders he said.Appealing to Patidars Patel said it would be betrayal for the community if they vote for the BJP. I m not here to ask you to give vote to this or that party but it will be a betrayal to your community if you vote for the BJP. Make them realise once what it means to commit atrocities on people he said.Patel asked people to take a pledge against voting for the BJP because they committed atrocities on our people and killed innocents . I will not give my precious and pure vote (to the BJP). On December 14 at 11 am I will vote to defeat the arrogant government and for the victory of the six crore Gujaratis he said.The second and final phase of the high-stake Gujarat elections is scheduled to be held on 14 December. By Vrishti Beniwal and Bibhudatta Pradhan As more women go out to vote in India while their male counterparts stay home Prime Minister Narendra Modi is shifting attention and planning a raft of female-focused policies before the 2019 national election. Following the popular roll out of cooking gas for rural families that frees women from smoky woodfires Modi is pushing to outlaw so-called instant divorce in Muslim communities. He s also keen to reserve seats for women in parliament and backroom consultations have begun according to two people with knowledge of the matter. Women emerging as a vote bloc would be a crucial factor in deciding the election though there is no sign that they vote for a party that picks their issues said Sanjay Kumar director of the New Delhi-based Centre for the Study of Developing Societies. Yet there is a trend to mobilize them. There is greater thrust on women s issues by Modi s government. Women outnumbered men at polling booths in half of India s states in 2014 but a Pew survey conducted this year showed they were also more critical of Modi s policies including his handling of rising prices pollution and communal tensions. His choice of a Hindu monk to lead one of the worst states for women in India has also raised some eyebrows. Does his acolyte Swami Adityanath really care about the status of women? said Sumit Ganguly professor at the Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University Bloomington referring to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh who has voiced -- among other views -- that women need protection not independence. Rank paternalism in much of the ruling party s leadership is constraining Modi s ability to effect significant change Ganguly said. Goddess of Power In a country that worships goddesses and boasts several top women bankers Modi rarely fails to evoke women when speaking at public platforms. At a recent global meet attended by Ivanka Trump daughter and adviser of U.S. President Donald Trump he said women are the incarnation of Shakti -- the goddess of power -- and vital to our development. However India s gender gap ranking has fallen 21 places from last year mainly due to poorer political empowerment healthy life expectancy and basic literacy for the bulk of women according to a 2017 report from the World Economic Forum. The rate of crime against women is little changed since Modi came to power in 2014 and the share of women in India s workforce is declining from what was already one of the lowest among emerging economies. In the arena of women s workforce participation India has moved backward instead of forward in recent years said Alyssa Ayres senior fellow for India Pakistan and South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. This is not just an issue of equality which of course it is but one that can have a major impact on the country s prosperity. India s gross domestic product in 2025 would be 60 percent higher if women attain equal status at work than if it stays at current levels according to McKinsey & Co. Bridging the Gap Modi is trying the bridge the gap. His administration has: Provided safer cooking fuel to poor families as the government tries to reduce premature deaths from household air pollution Increased maternity leave and mandated childcare facilities for working mothers Proposed minimum wages and social security benefits for India s 3.9 million domestic workers of which 67 percent are women Started campaigns to encourage education for girls His next plan is to make punishable the act of triple talaq in which a Muslim man can instantly leave his wife by saying the word talaq -- which means divorce -- three times. Modi is also reviving the Women s Reservation Bill the people said asking not to be identified as they aren t authorized to speak to the media. The move which proposes to reserve a third of the seats in federal and state legislatures for women has been pending for close to two decades due to lack of consensus among political parties. Ranjana Kumari director of the Centre for Social Research said she doesn t expect major opposition if Modi s administration revives the reservation bill. In a deeply patriarchal society to change the mindset is not easy but definitely not impossible said Nandita Das an actor-filmmaker and social activist whose movies have addressed topics such as sexual abuse and the caste hierarchy. We are seeing that the tipping point has come when issues of women have finally at long last taken centerstage. Not everyone is as optimistic. Women are half of society so focusing on them is critical said Nikita Sud associate professor of Development Studies at the University of Oxford. However one individual cannot initiate progressive change for half a billion people. GUWAHATI: Four MLAs including Congress AL Hek and NCP s Sanbor Shullai are all set to join the BJP and the party claims will share dais with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a public rally in Meghalaya on December 16. Modi will launch the BJP s campaign for the assembly polls in Shillong with the rally. The state is likely to go to polls early next year. Besides Hek and Shullai independent MLAs Robinus Syngkon and Justine Dkhar will also share the dais with the PM. BJP president Shibun Lyngdoh said We have invited the MLAs and they have assured to come for the event and share the dais. Formal joining of these MLAs will take some time. We are expecting a turnout of over one lakh people for the prime minister s rally. Meanwhile a senior BJP said they were in touch with several legislators of the state. Some more MLAs are in touch with us and we are expecting a grand joining programme he said. The PM is also scheduled to inaugurate the new party office during his visit. In Christian-dominated Meghalaya the Congress is rattled by the exodus of senior leaders including Rowell Lyngdoh Prestone Tynsong Sniawbhalang Dhar Ngaitlang Dhar and PN Syiem. Party state chief and former chief minister DD Lapang has decided not to contest the polls. With the Congress also battling anti-incumbency the BJP is confident of a strong showing in the assembly election.