Jump to content

Subramanian Swamy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by GreenEdu (talk | contribs) at 19:07, 10 December 2011 (→Personal life: No place for opinions on Wikipedia). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Subramanian Swamy
President, Janata Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
1989
Minister of Commerce and Industry
In office
1990–1991
Prime MinisterChandra Shekhar Singh
Minister of Law and Justice
(Additional Charge)
In office
1990–1991
Prime MinisterChandra Shekhar Singh
Member of the Rajya Sabha
In office
1988–1994
In office
1974–1976
Member of the Lok Sabha
In office
1980–1984
In office
1977–1979
Personal details
Born (1939-09-15) 15 September 1939 (age 85)
Mylapore, Chennai, British India
Political partyJanata Party
SpouseDr. Roxna Swamy
Alma materUniversity of Delhi
Indian Statistical Institute
Harvard University
ProfessionEconomist
Professor
Author
Politician
WebsiteOfficial Website

Subramanian Swamy (born 15 September 1939 in Chennai, India sometimes spelt Subramaniam Swamy) is an Indian politician, academic and economist[1] and presently the President of the Janata Party of India.

Early life and education

Subramanian Swamy was born in Mylapore, Chennai, India. His father Sitarama Subramanian is from Madurai, Tamil Nadu who retired as Secretary to Government of India. His mother is from Tamil speaking family from Trichur, Kerala.

He attended Hindu College, University of Delhi, from where he earned his Bachelor Honours degree in Mathematics. He studied for his Masters degree in Statistics at the Indian Statistical Institute. He then went to study at Harvard University on a full Rockefeller scholarship. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Economics by Harvard University (Class of 1965).

For some time, while completing his dissertation in 1963, he worked at the United Nations Secretariat in New York as an Assistant Economics Affairs Officer. He subsequently worked as a resident tutor at Lowell House at Harvard.

Academic career

In 1964, Swamy joined the faculty of economics at Harvard and since then has taught in the Department of Economics. He began as an assistant professor, and in 1969 became an associate professor. He regularly teaches economics courses in summer session at Harvard.[2]

From 1969 to 1991, he was a Professor of Economics at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. He was removed from the position by its board of Governors in the early 1970s but was legally reinstated in the late 1990s by the Supreme Court of India. He continued in the position until 1991 when he resigned to become a cabinet minister. He served on the Board of Governors of the IIT, Delhi (1977–80), and on the Council of IITs (1980–82).

He is the chairman of School of Communication and Management Studies in Kerala, a business institute in India.

Political career

Elections contested

He was one of the founding members of the Janata Party and has been its president since 1990. He was elected Member of Parliament 5 times between 1974 and 1999. He has twice represented the city of Mumbai North East during 1977 and 1980, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in the Parliament.

He was also a member of the Planning Commission between 1990 and 1991. Between 1994 and 1996, he held the position of "Chairman of the Commission on Labour Standards and International Trade" (equivalent to the rank of a cabinet minister) under the P. V. Narasimha Rao government. Dr. Swamy has been subject to several defamation cases. He is known to argue these cases himself without the agency of lawyers. In October 2004, he along with other members of the erstwhile Janata Party established the Rashtriya Swabhiman Manch to oppose the policies of the ruling UPA.

Minister of Commerce and Law of India

Economic Reforms in India

During the period 1990 to 1991 when Swamy was Cabinet Minister of Commerce and Law of India he created the blueprint for economic reforms in India under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar which was later carried out in 1991 by Manmohan Singh, then Finance Minister under leadership of Prime Minister Narasimha Rao.[3] The current Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh recently stated that Dr. Swamy was the first to envisage and articulate the need for reforms in India.[4][5]

Political views

International relations

China and India

He is known for his efforts in normalizing relations between China and India. In 1981, he persuaded Deng Xiaoping[6] to open the Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet to the Hindu pilgrims from India.[7] He became the first Indian on the reopening to visit Kailash and Mansarovar in 1981. In 1990–1991, he was a minister in the Chandra Shekhar cabinet and was in charge of the Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Law and Justice.

Israel

In his speeches and articles, Dr Swamy has expressed his admiration for Israel, and has credited its retaliatory capacity for its ability to survive in a hostile Arab environment. He made pioneering efforts at establishing diplomatic relations with Israel.

2G spectrum scam

In November 2008, Subramanian Swamy wrote the first of five letters to PM Manmohan Singh seeking permission to prosecute A. Raja in regards to the 2G spectrum scam.[8] However, Singh took no action, leading Swamy to file a case on his own in the Supreme Court of India regarding the matter, which then asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to produce a detailed report on the matter.[9] He further called on the Indian government to re-auction the 2G spectrum without the involvement of Communications Minister Kapil Sibal.[10]

Swamy has raised allegations that that Sonia Gandhi's two sisters Anushka and Nadia have received sixty percent of the kickbacks in the 2G spectrum scam, amounting to Rs.18,000 crores each.[11] On 15 April 2011, he filed a 206-page long petition with PM Singh seeking permission to prosecute Gandhi. In the petition, he claimed to have strong evidence of corrupt acts committed by Gandhi as early as 1972; he also raised doubts regarding her acquisition of Indian citizenship.[12] At a lecture on corruption given on 29 May 2011, he again repeated his allegation against Sonia Gandhi, saying she has Rs.1 lakh crore stashed abroad.[13] Most of Swamy's letters to the prime minister regarding this matter are not supported by proof, but he is not defensive about his allegations, stating: "I am writing to the prime minister, I am not holding a press conference. The PM has agencies available to him, they can investigate. My job is to bring things to his notice." Also, "They say I have no proof. Rubbish! As if on other things, they always have proof."[14]

Reaction to 2011 Mumbai bombings

In response to the 2011 Mumbai bombings, he wrote an editorial in Daily News and Analysis (DNA) claiming that "Muslims of India are being programmed by a slow reactive process to become radical and thus slide into suicide against Hindus". He then set out a programme for dealing with this alleged threat, including repealing Article 370 of the Constitution of India (which granted special autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir), removing the Gyanvapi Mosque at Kashi Vishwanath Temple and other mosques allegedly built atop Hindu temples, disenfranchising non-Hindus who refuse to acknowledge their Hindu ancestry, prohibiting conversion from Hinduism to other religions, and annexing part of Bangladesh in retaliation for Bangladeshi illegal immigration in India.[15]. Swamy had written a similar column in The New Indian Express after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

Negative reactions

His column provoked a variety of reactions. His house was attacked by people alleged to be Congress party workers.[16] Minorities Council of Maharashtra Vice Chairman Abraham Mathai and National Commission for Minorities chairman Wajahat Habibullah accused him of violating Indian Penal Code Section 153A.[17][18] New Delhi law student Shehzad Poonawala attempted to lodge an FIR against him at Defence Colony police station, but was disallowed by the officer on duty.[18] DNA published two hostile response columns by Rakesh Sharma and Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr. calling him a "Hindu Taliban", "maverick", and "Zionist" in response to his views.[19][20]

Exclusion from Harvard

Some students at his alma mater Harvard University, where he also teaches economics in the summer school, accused him of stoking communalism and circulated a petition calling on the university to fire him and publicly repudiate his remarks. Two PhD students, Umang Kumar and Sanjay Pinto, started an online petition asking for the removal of courses taught by Dr Swamy, which received more than 450 signatures from students and faculty.[21][22] Adam Kissel, on behalf of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, wrote in a letter to Harvard that a disciplinary investigation against him would be inappropriate for an academic institution dedicated to intellectual freedom, represented a threat to free speech, and could lead to self-censorship by other faculty members.[23]

In response to the petition, Donald H. Pfister, dean of Harvard Summer School, stated that the school would "give this matter our serious attention", and decided to stand by its instructor.[24] On Tuesday, 6 December, 2011, the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted to exclude Subramanian Swamy's summer school courses from its catalog.[25][26][27] The Op-Ed was considered more to be a case of hate speech rather than free speech. 'I was persuaded... that the views expressed in Dr Swamy's op-ed piece amounted to incitement of violence instead of protected political speech,' Philosophy Department Chair Sean D Kelly wrote in an e-mail to the Crimson.[28]. Comparative Religion Professor Diana Eck said, "Swamy's op-ed [piece] clearly crosses the line by demonising an entire religious community and calling for violence against their sacred places". The Faculty of Arts and Sciences voted with an "overwhelming majority" to remove the courses taught by Mr Swamy.[29]

Tamil Nadu

He is well known for his critical views against the Government of Tamil Nadu and against the rationalist views of E.V.R. Ramaswamy. He is a constant fighter for the revival of Braminism in Tamil Nadu.

He is staunch detractor of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.[30][31]

He obtained Supreme Court Stay against the implementation of Sethu Samuthiram Shipping Channel project (SSSCP). He believes that it would hurt the sentiments of people who believe that this shallow land connecting between Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka was built by Rama approximately 1,260,000 years ago. He strongly opposes the implementation of SSSCP citing that implementing this scheme may affect the sentiments of Hinduism. He wrote letters to Prime Minister of India in June 2009 asking him to stop the project.[32]

Personal life

Swamy is married to Dr. Roxna Swamy (a Parsi.[33] ), an advocate at the Supreme Court of India. He has two daughters, Gitanjali Swamy and Suhasini Haider, the latter a journalist at CNN-IBN.[34] His brother-in-law is Jewish, his son-in-law Muslim, his sister-in-law Christian, and his wife Parsi.[21].

Books, Research Papers and Journals

Subramanian Swamy is a published author of several books, research papers and journals. A complete list of papers, books and journals is included below to which he is the author.

Books:

  • Economic Growth in China and India, 1952–70 (Publisher: University of Chicago Press; ISBN: 9780226783154)
  • Indian economic planning;: An alternative approach (Publisher: Barnes & Noble; ISBN: 9780389042020)
  • Building a New India: An Agenda for National Renaissance (Publisher: South Asia Books; ISBN: 9788185674216)
  • India's Labour Standards and the WTO Framework (Publisher: Konark Publishers; ISBN: 9788122005851)
  • India's economic performance and reforms: A perspective for the new millennium (Publisher: Konark Publishers; ISBN: 9788122005943)
  • Assassination of Rajiv Gandhi: Unanswered Questions and Unasked Queries (Publisher: Konark Publishers; ISBN: 9788122005912)
  • India's China perspective (Publisher: Konark Publishers; ISBN: 9788122006063)
  • Financial Architecture and Economic Development in China and India (Publisher: Konark Publishers; ISBN: 9788122007183)
  • Trade and Industry in Japan: A Guide to Indian Entrepreneurs and Businessmen (Publisher: Prentice-Hall of India; ISBN: 9788120307858)
  • Sri Lanka in Crisis: India's Options (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124112601)
  • Kailas and Manasarovar after 22 years in Shiva's domain (Publisher: Allied Publishers)
  • Hindus Under Siege (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124112076)
  • Rama Setu: Symbol of National Unity (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124114186)
  • Terrorism in India: A Strategy of Deterrence for India's National Security (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124113448)
  • Corruption and Corporate Governance in India: Satyam, Spectrum & Sundaram (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124114865)
  • 2G Spectrum Scam (Publisher: Har Anand Publications; ISBN: 9788124116388)
  • Electronic voting machines: unconstitutional and tamperable (Publisher: Vision Books; ISBN: 9788170947981)

Article, Research Papers and Journals:

Article

  • Can India make it? India's path to sustained growth (Publisher: Harvard Asia Pacific review, Volumes 6-8 by Harvard University. Dept. of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, 2002)
  • The response to economic challenge: A comparative economic history of China and India, 1870-1952 (Publisher: The Quarterly journal of economics, Volume 93 by Harvard University by the MIT Press, 1979)

Research Papers

  • Economic growth and income distribution in a developing nation (Publisher: Harvard University, 1965)
  • Nuclear policy for India (Publisher: Bharatiya Jana Sangh Publication, 1968)
  • Plan for full employment (Publisher: Bharatiya Jana Sangh, 1970)
  • Theoretical aspects of index numbers (Publisher: Harvard Institute of Economic Research, 1985)
  • Land reforms: an economist's approach (Publisher: Deendayal Research Institute)

References

  1. ^ "Swamy to teach at Harvard". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 October 2011.
  2. ^ Swamy to teach at Harvard The Hindu – February 15, 2011
  3. ^ Assessing India's economic reforms: Swamy The Frontline – February 01, 2002
  4. ^ Financial Architecture and Economic Development in China and India. Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd. ISBN 9788122007183. {{cite book}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  5. ^ Dr. Subramanian Swamy: Profile SCMS Group of Educational Institutions – February 01, 2011
  6. ^ Myth and reality in India-China relations: Swamy The Hindu – September 17, 2009
  7. ^ Pilgrims' route The Tribune – September 26, 1998
  8. ^ Sheela Bhatt (2011-02-11), 'I will implicate Sonia Gandhi in the 2G case', retrieved 2011-08-01
  9. ^ Jiby Kattakayam (2011-02-06), "CBI asked to file detailed report on 2G scam", The Hindu, retrieved 2011-08-01
  10. ^ "Re-auction 2G spectrum, restrain Sibal: Subramanian Swamy", Indo-Asian News Service, 2011-01-11, retrieved 2011-08-01
  11. ^ Subramanian Swamy (2010-12-09), "Sonia Gandhi's sisters received Rs18,000 crores : 2G Scam secrets", Currentweek, retrieved 2011-08-01
  12. ^ "Permit me to prosecute Sonia: Swamy", Expressbuzz, 2011-04-19, retrieved 2011-08-01
  13. ^ "Sonia Gandhi has 1 Lakh crore black money stashed abroad – Subramanian Swamy", India Hills Today, 2011-05-29, retrieved 2011-08-01
  14. ^ Vandita Mishra (2011-05-17), "Yours faithfully, (Subramanian Swamy)", Indian Express, retrieved 2011-08-01
  15. ^ Subramanian Swamy (2011-07-16), "Analysis: How to wipe out Islamic terror", Daily News and Analysis, retrieved 2011-07-27
  16. ^ Harvard Stands by Instructor Who Wrote Inflammatory Op-ed – National. The Atlantic Wire (2011-08-08). Retrieved on 2011-10-16.
  17. ^ Smitha Nair (2011-07-29), "Subramanian Swamy's 'hate' article invites criticism", IBN Live, retrieved 2011-07-31
  18. ^ a b "Subramanian Swamy courts trouble over hate article", Hindustan Times, 2011-07-18, retrieved 2011-07-28
  19. ^ Rakesh Sharma (2011-07-17), "Politics of hate will never define India", Daily News and Analysis, retrieved 2011-07-27
  20. ^ Parsa Venkateshwar Rao Jr. (2011-07-19), "The paradox called Subramanian Swamy", Daily News and Analysis, retrieved 2011-07-27
  21. ^ a b Beckett, Paul (2011-07-27), "Swamy Op-Ed Stokes Furor at Harvard", Wall Street Journal, retrieved 2011-07-27
  22. ^ Leanna B. Ehrlich (2011-07-27), "Petition Calls Op-Ed by Harvard Summer School Instructor Offensive to Muslims", The Harvard Crimson, retrieved 2011-07-27
  23. ^ "US civil liberties group cautions Harvard on action against Subramanian Swamy", The Times of India, 2011-07-30, retrieved 2011-07-30
  24. ^ Harvard Stands by Instructor Who Wrote Inflammatory Op-ed – National. The Atlantic Wire (2011-08-08). Retrieved on 2011-10-16.
  25. ^ Harvard Faculty Faculty Talks Occupy, Free Speech, and Holiday Brownies, The Harvard Crimson, 2011-12-7, retrieved 2011-12-7 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  26. ^ Harvard Faculty Cancel Controversial Summer School Instructor's Courses of Subramanian Swamy, The Harvard Crimson, 2011-12-7, retrieved 2011-12-7 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  27. ^ Harvard University snubs Subramanian Swamy, drops courses taught by him, Rediff News, 2011-12-7, retrieved 2011-12-7 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  28. ^ http://www.rediff.com/news/report/harvard-snubs-subramanian-swamy/20111208.htm
  29. ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16081751
  30. ^ Subramanian Swamy appears before tribunal examining LTTE ban The Times of India – Oct 28, 2010
  31. ^ LTTE part of the problem: Swamy The Hindu – Nov 13, 2008
  32. ^ Hold Sethu project implementation, says Swamy , சேது.. 'ஹோல்ட் ஆன்': சாமி – Oneindia Tamil. Thatstamil.oneindia.in (2009-06-18). Retrieved on 2011-10-16.
  33. ^ Part 4 : Dr. Subramanyam Swami Speech at "Hindu Unity Day" Organized by Sanatana Dharma Foundation. YouTube. Retrieved on 2011-10-16.
  34. ^ Sunday Celebrity: Dr. Subramanian Swamy, his presence a must in Indian politics. Asian Tribune. Retrieved on 2011-10-16.

Others

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Subramanian_Swamy&oldid=465158839"