What a stinging rebuke this ! The President seems to have come of age in his role as the saviour of our constitution, finally. Just when you loose all hopes from this nation, something comes back to you saying , yes, we are still alive.
Kalam's returning of the bill of the Office of profit back to the parliament may just be that miniscule ray of hope. Just to save one lady's parliament seat, the entire government machinary was used to twist the Constitution. The shameless speaker who so brazenly refused to resign in wake of opposition to his holding an office of profit and the rest of the "ruling class" were riding a high horse thinking no one can pull them up. Just then the President struck.
The bill may pass finally, but not without an egg on the already battered Congress face.
Wonder where the clerk [Manmohan Singh] is in all this. He is, as always, INVISIBLE.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
Musings
Kerela did not let me down. My recent "official" trip to Kerela was some sort of a personal landmark. I enjoyed every bit. From the royal treatment at the Taj Residency, Ernakulam to the extra-ordinary hospitality of our vendor, i was floored by all the largesse.
I should have planned my trip a little better though. I did go to Kumarkom 'back-waters' and Alleppy, but in hind sight a trip at Wayanad to meet my friend Sunder would have been more fruitful. I did meet Sunder though, but at Anand-Ashram in a place called Kanahangad [for some strange reason it is pronounced Kanjangad]
Sunder Iyer was a revelation. And so was Kerela's spicy food. I always thought hot food was not an issue with me until i landed in a "soup" quite literally at the Taj. I just could not complete my hot and sour soup. It was so spicy.
The city of Cochin left much to the desire. It's non-existing infrastructure left a bad taste. Off course the fact that Kerela has been ruled by Communists for many years did it make it obvious to me after seeing the total lack of civic amenities at a place of such high importance.
It is a tribute to the hard work of Kerelites that Kerela not only survives but thrives inspite of Communism [ and not because of it, as Arundati Roy would like us to believe].
Also, the petro-dollars from middle-east have played a major role in Kerela's economy, a fact that not even Amartaya Sen can deny. [Sen usually alludes to Kerela model to buttress his thesis]
The progress made on human index in Kerela, though cannot be denied. And here one should complement the Communists, or the work done by them in earlier days. The literacy level is way higher than any other state. Even my driver, who came to pick me up every day, was so well spoken and educated. One of the waiters who served me at Taj, told me he was pursuing Computer courses parallely. He had just completed his MCom. It was good and bad. Good that even a waiter was so educated, bad because he was still a waiter.
Cochin airport was nice and very decent. Also very clean, unlike the Delhi airport. I thought some bus depots in Mumbai were cleaner than Delhi airport. That airport really needs a face lift, and can do without Sitaram Yechuri's interference.
My handy cam really came handy. I shot Kumarom,Alleppy,Cochin and Kanhandgad. The Antherepelly water falls were grand so was the royal bathing of the elephants at Kakkanad. Brian, who was with me for first few days, could not have enough of that fun.
On the whole Kerela scored very high on food, hospitality and relaxation. I wouldn't blink if i am asked to go again.
I should have planned my trip a little better though. I did go to Kumarkom 'back-waters' and Alleppy, but in hind sight a trip at Wayanad to meet my friend Sunder would have been more fruitful. I did meet Sunder though, but at Anand-Ashram in a place called Kanahangad [for some strange reason it is pronounced Kanjangad]
Sunder Iyer was a revelation. And so was Kerela's spicy food. I always thought hot food was not an issue with me until i landed in a "soup" quite literally at the Taj. I just could not complete my hot and sour soup. It was so spicy.
The city of Cochin left much to the desire. It's non-existing infrastructure left a bad taste. Off course the fact that Kerela has been ruled by Communists for many years did it make it obvious to me after seeing the total lack of civic amenities at a place of such high importance.
It is a tribute to the hard work of Kerelites that Kerela not only survives but thrives inspite of Communism [ and not because of it, as Arundati Roy would like us to believe].
Also, the petro-dollars from middle-east have played a major role in Kerela's economy, a fact that not even Amartaya Sen can deny. [Sen usually alludes to Kerela model to buttress his thesis]
The progress made on human index in Kerela, though cannot be denied. And here one should complement the Communists, or the work done by them in earlier days. The literacy level is way higher than any other state. Even my driver, who came to pick me up every day, was so well spoken and educated. One of the waiters who served me at Taj, told me he was pursuing Computer courses parallely. He had just completed his MCom. It was good and bad. Good that even a waiter was so educated, bad because he was still a waiter.
Cochin airport was nice and very decent. Also very clean, unlike the Delhi airport. I thought some bus depots in Mumbai were cleaner than Delhi airport. That airport really needs a face lift, and can do without Sitaram Yechuri's interference.
My handy cam really came handy. I shot Kumarom,Alleppy,Cochin and Kanhandgad. The Antherepelly water falls were grand so was the royal bathing of the elephants at Kakkanad. Brian, who was with me for first few days, could not have enough of that fun.
On the whole Kerela scored very high on food, hospitality and relaxation. I wouldn't blink if i am asked to go again.
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Infosys goes to Shanghai
In what seems to be like signs of things to come, Infosys may not be the only one setting shop in China.
The current dispention is hell bent on destroying talent and merit. It is likely that reservations will come into play in private sector as well. This could mean trouble for companies like Infosys. Atleast in China they may not have to give a job to someone just because he is from OBC.
India's lose is China's gain. Though there may not be any corelation with reservations and Infosys going to China, companies like Infosys are clearly worried with power-hungry politics of Sonia Gandhi and Co. [arjun singh is just a pawn in this big game]
Who knows?, if Indian companies are forced to employ people with less talent and skills they may be forced to seek alternate avenues , even if it means setting up shops elsewhere.
Reservations is clearly an assault on the Indian middle class. 'The Hindu' newspaper, a known China supporter today carried an article on how Chinese universities are attracting Indian students. The timing of the article could not have been more effective , looking at the desperate situation Indian students find themselves in. The Hindu might have pulled up a good PR thing for it's masters in China. It has struck when the iron is hot.
There has been a pattern of sorts in last few years and if my guess is not too inaccurate China has something to do with that pattern.
It should be common sense to assume that a weak India is good news for China. The fall of NDA and the extra-ordinary rise of Left in India has a link somewhere to China. The Left is flushed with cash inflow and if you are an Indian you know how much part money plays in elections.
Since Left's big win, many policy decisions taken in the country have been aligned with Chinese interests. The development work of port in Trivandrum being awarded to a Chinese company is not a mere coincidence in the bigger scheme of things.
The current dispention is hell bent on destroying talent and merit. It is likely that reservations will come into play in private sector as well. This could mean trouble for companies like Infosys. Atleast in China they may not have to give a job to someone just because he is from OBC.
India's lose is China's gain. Though there may not be any corelation with reservations and Infosys going to China, companies like Infosys are clearly worried with power-hungry politics of Sonia Gandhi and Co. [arjun singh is just a pawn in this big game]
Who knows?, if Indian companies are forced to employ people with less talent and skills they may be forced to seek alternate avenues , even if it means setting up shops elsewhere.
Reservations is clearly an assault on the Indian middle class. 'The Hindu' newspaper, a known China supporter today carried an article on how Chinese universities are attracting Indian students. The timing of the article could not have been more effective , looking at the desperate situation Indian students find themselves in. The Hindu might have pulled up a good PR thing for it's masters in China. It has struck when the iron is hot.
There has been a pattern of sorts in last few years and if my guess is not too inaccurate China has something to do with that pattern.
It should be common sense to assume that a weak India is good news for China. The fall of NDA and the extra-ordinary rise of Left in India has a link somewhere to China. The Left is flushed with cash inflow and if you are an Indian you know how much part money plays in elections.
Since Left's big win, many policy decisions taken in the country have been aligned with Chinese interests. The development work of port in Trivandrum being awarded to a Chinese company is not a mere coincidence in the bigger scheme of things.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Middle Class Blues
Life will become touche difficult for the middle classes across the country. UPA is pretty firm on vote-bank politics and has decied to go ahead with its favourite mantra - RESERVATIONS.
The Gandhis and Arjun Singhs do not need reservations. They have earned enough wealth to keep sending their kids to Harvard and Cambridge and "buy" out certificates and degrees, for several generations to come.
This really has hit the middle classes the most; right under their belts. But to be honest they should have seen this coming. If they were expecting anything better than this from Sonia and Co, they were living a dangerous dream.
Most middle class people in last elections did not venture out to vote. They still won't do that. It is likely that UPA will return to power with a thumping majority next time around and Gandhi parivar will firmly be in the saddle. The reservation thing will certainly boost Congress's tally in the lower house.
It will either be Rahul or Sonia taking over the PM's post soon.
The Gandhi parivar,quite remarkably, has again fooled the public here. They have maintained a studied silence over the issue. The media has once again shielded "Her Highness" from any uncomfortable questions. Sonia only shows her face or makes a statement when things are going good. When the Congress is on the back foot, she simply refuses audience.
There is a pattern to most of this. Volcker, Quottrochi, and now this. Gandhis would keep themselves away from spotlight when under scrutiny. They come back with a bang when the going is good. It's a good lesson for wannabe politicians. Also they are hugely supported by the media during these tough times. This cannot be ignored.
Speaking of media, NDTV has again started applying it's own spin. They have blacked out the police lathi charge news. Instead they are focussing on the "plight" of patients. One of the correspondents at NDTV stopped short of blaming the doctors for this entire issue.
Even their opion poll carries this question - "Are the doctors justified in carrying out strikes against reservations?".
NDTV never questions strikes in West Bengal and Kerela.
They are also trying to manipulate statements made by leaders from their bete noire, the BJP.
Luckily no-one from BJP has given out too much till now. BJP leaders would do good to stay away from NDTV for sometime now.
The need of the hour really is for the middle class of the nation to come together and create a solid vote bank against the Gandhis and Lalus and Singhs.
Looking at the apathetic response to the nation's issues , the idea of middle class coming together, can only be my pipe dream.
The Gandhis and Arjun Singhs do not need reservations. They have earned enough wealth to keep sending their kids to Harvard and Cambridge and "buy" out certificates and degrees, for several generations to come.
This really has hit the middle classes the most; right under their belts. But to be honest they should have seen this coming. If they were expecting anything better than this from Sonia and Co, they were living a dangerous dream.
Most middle class people in last elections did not venture out to vote. They still won't do that. It is likely that UPA will return to power with a thumping majority next time around and Gandhi parivar will firmly be in the saddle. The reservation thing will certainly boost Congress's tally in the lower house.
It will either be Rahul or Sonia taking over the PM's post soon.
The Gandhi parivar,quite remarkably, has again fooled the public here. They have maintained a studied silence over the issue. The media has once again shielded "Her Highness" from any uncomfortable questions. Sonia only shows her face or makes a statement when things are going good. When the Congress is on the back foot, she simply refuses audience.
There is a pattern to most of this. Volcker, Quottrochi, and now this. Gandhis would keep themselves away from spotlight when under scrutiny. They come back with a bang when the going is good. It's a good lesson for wannabe politicians. Also they are hugely supported by the media during these tough times. This cannot be ignored.
Speaking of media, NDTV has again started applying it's own spin. They have blacked out the police lathi charge news. Instead they are focussing on the "plight" of patients. One of the correspondents at NDTV stopped short of blaming the doctors for this entire issue.
Even their opion poll carries this question - "Are the doctors justified in carrying out strikes against reservations?".
NDTV never questions strikes in West Bengal and Kerela.
They are also trying to manipulate statements made by leaders from their bete noire, the BJP.
Luckily no-one from BJP has given out too much till now. BJP leaders would do good to stay away from NDTV for sometime now.
The need of the hour really is for the middle class of the nation to come together and create a solid vote bank against the Gandhis and Lalus and Singhs.
Looking at the apathetic response to the nation's issues , the idea of middle class coming together, can only be my pipe dream.
A Telling Tale
How Pakistan treats its rape victims
Makes you throw up. Our liberal elites of the punjabiyat and biryani types [Vinod Mehta, Burkha Dutt and Co] have great respect for this rouge nation. Not a problem. Except that they want others to share the same feeling vis-a-vis that pathetic state. And if we do not concur with their views , we are at best "Communal" and at worst "fundamentalists".
Loving pakistan is one of the important benchmarks against which you are judged as far as secularism in India is concerned.
Makes you throw up. Our liberal elites of the punjabiyat and biryani types [Vinod Mehta, Burkha Dutt and Co] have great respect for this rouge nation. Not a problem. Except that they want others to share the same feeling vis-a-vis that pathetic state. And if we do not concur with their views , we are at best "Communal" and at worst "fundamentalists".
Loving pakistan is one of the important benchmarks against which you are judged as far as secularism in India is concerned.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Ain't good this
The news coming out from the 3 states that went to polls is not good. Left was expected to sweep Bengal and Kerela, but i was hoping that Amma returns to Tamilnadu. Not that i like her. Just that she is a better option than Karunanidhi who has promised reservations for muslims in TN.
West Bengal election results is a foregone conclusion. I wonder why the election commission even goes through the hardship of having polls in Bengal. I think it is time this formality of having elections be stopped and some tax-payers money saved.
Kerela again was a mere formality i think. Congress should have simply placated and given the reigns to Commies. Anyway they were not fighting the elections. As what Shekhar Gupta said on NDTV yesterday - "They want to save the center. They were just not willing to put up a fight against the Left"
So except for TN elections the others were simply of academic interest. With Amma going the dominance of Left will be much higher now. It will be interesting to see how things unfold at the center.
India's economy will be the first victim of these results. Also the jihadi terrorism will get a filip in Bengal and Kerela and also Assam thus further endangering the national security.
This ain't good time in India. I also believe stock markets are going to crash in days to come. Anyone invested heavily would do good to come out fast and may be re-invest again.
West Bengal election results is a foregone conclusion. I wonder why the election commission even goes through the hardship of having polls in Bengal. I think it is time this formality of having elections be stopped and some tax-payers money saved.
Kerela again was a mere formality i think. Congress should have simply placated and given the reigns to Commies. Anyway they were not fighting the elections. As what Shekhar Gupta said on NDTV yesterday - "They want to save the center. They were just not willing to put up a fight against the Left"
So except for TN elections the others were simply of academic interest. With Amma going the dominance of Left will be much higher now. It will be interesting to see how things unfold at the center.
India's economy will be the first victim of these results. Also the jihadi terrorism will get a filip in Bengal and Kerela and also Assam thus further endangering the national security.
This ain't good time in India. I also believe stock markets are going to crash in days to come. Anyone invested heavily would do good to come out fast and may be re-invest again.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Obsession with arguing
We indians have a staggering appetite for arguing,discussing and debating. Sitting in my hotel room, scanning the various news channels in hope of some sensible news, i have figured out one thing that is common to all the news channels. DISCUSSIONS. The mantra is to keep discussing to death the smallest of issues.
For example yesterday i saw a discussion , which later became a debate, on Sachin Tendulkar's fitness. Still a couple of days back i saw some so called analysts discussing to death the issue of aiports privatisation, even after Delhi airport had already gone into the private hands.
Just because we are democracy doesn't mean we need to have an opinion on everything. The sad part is, the people who really have knowledge about these things are never a part of discussion.
You start getting a feeling that there's way too much of time at disposal in India. But then you also figure out that people who really matter do not discuss. They go on with their work.
Endless and aimless debating is a culture being brought into Indian homes via satellite. Only one news channel appeared to be quite sane amongst all this hoopla. The Headlines Today, which appeared to be objective and balanced and bereft of all the cacophony of other news channels.
I am sure it is the least watched of channels amongst the English audience. Yet it has left a mark, as far as i am concerned. I guess in long term it will pick up when the fad for hopeless arguing ends.
For example yesterday i saw a discussion , which later became a debate, on Sachin Tendulkar's fitness. Still a couple of days back i saw some so called analysts discussing to death the issue of aiports privatisation, even after Delhi airport had already gone into the private hands.
Just because we are democracy doesn't mean we need to have an opinion on everything. The sad part is, the people who really have knowledge about these things are never a part of discussion.
You start getting a feeling that there's way too much of time at disposal in India. But then you also figure out that people who really matter do not discuss. They go on with their work.
Endless and aimless debating is a culture being brought into Indian homes via satellite. Only one news channel appeared to be quite sane amongst all this hoopla. The Headlines Today, which appeared to be objective and balanced and bereft of all the cacophony of other news channels.
I am sure it is the least watched of channels amongst the English audience. Yet it has left a mark, as far as i am concerned. I guess in long term it will pick up when the fad for hopeless arguing ends.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Tragic
The death of Pramod Mahajan is a blow for the BJP. Ever since it lost the last elections in 2004 there has only been bad news for the party. Mahajan's death is like a bolt from the blue, for the BJP, which was looking for a turn around in it's fortune, lately
Can't think of any one person now in BJP who can replace Mahajan.
Born to a poor family in remote village of Maharashtra, Mahajan's meteoric rise in Indian politics had very few parallels. He was according to me one of the best minister's we ever had. The strides that were taken during his tenure in telecom and IT are still spoken of in India Inc.
He was almost like the glue that was holding all the strings of the party from falling apart. His backroom manouvers and his ability to keep his ego aside and help resolve issues were legendary. BJP is a party full of ego riders. Mahajan was a little different in that sense and was a true and loyal worker.
This is more or less the beginning of the end for BJP now, even though it is ruling majority of the states in north and central india.
Though one might argue that party is always bigger than a person, Mahajan was certainly larger than life as far as BJP is concerned.
To keep the balance of Indian politics right, BJP will need to be strong. And someone from BJP will have to step into his shoes soon. Sooner or later.
Can't think of any one person now in BJP who can replace Mahajan.
Born to a poor family in remote village of Maharashtra, Mahajan's meteoric rise in Indian politics had very few parallels. He was according to me one of the best minister's we ever had. The strides that were taken during his tenure in telecom and IT are still spoken of in India Inc.
He was almost like the glue that was holding all the strings of the party from falling apart. His backroom manouvers and his ability to keep his ego aside and help resolve issues were legendary. BJP is a party full of ego riders. Mahajan was a little different in that sense and was a true and loyal worker.
This is more or less the beginning of the end for BJP now, even though it is ruling majority of the states in north and central india.
Though one might argue that party is always bigger than a person, Mahajan was certainly larger than life as far as BJP is concerned.
To keep the balance of Indian politics right, BJP will need to be strong. And someone from BJP will have to step into his shoes soon. Sooner or later.
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