Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts

Sunday, April 12, 2026

Women's reservation bill

 The present government is proceeding ahead with the women's reservation bill. They want to expand the number of seats in the Lok Sabha and give this excess seats to the women. It is being touted as gift from Mr. Narendra Modi to the womenfolk of India. It will be advertised repeatedly that this government has done something which no other government had the guts to do and so they must be voted back to power. It is purely a tactic to try and ensure that they win the next set of elections, especially the one in West Bengal and hence the timing. Day by day this government is revealing and reveling in the cunning politics of Machiavelli and Chanakya.

The women of India need to decide do they need reservation or equality. Reservation is given for those who are incapable of competing with the rest. It is like the handicap in golf or horse racing or many of other such sports. Do the women want to accept that they cannot compete with men for the open seats?

The  power to bring equality in the society lies with the womenfolk. The men have no reason to try to bring about this equality among genders. Most are not even willing to talk and those who talk, tell that women are weak and need to be protected. The womenfolk need to train their sons, brothers, and other menfolk around them so that they start treating women as equals. It will take a few generations for this to turn around, but I find only a few women walking down this path. Unless this becomes a mass movement, it is unlikely to find traction. In my opinion radical feminism is not a good way to approach this problem of patriarchy. And the women need to ensure that it doesn't make a complete U-Turn.

Yes biologically and physically, on an average, the women are weaker then men, but in the rest they can be equal if not better. To fight elections one does not need physical strength, so why the reservation?

The other issue is that, it is already difficult to get to consensus with 500+ people, with 800+ people on the floor it is going to be chaos.

This is just optics for the BJP and Narendra Modi.

The second point is that, to increase the number of seats, delimitation will be mooted. While the government has stated that they will not increase the seats of any state and that the increase is bound to be proportional, it is becoming more and more difficult to believe what this government says. It has lost its credibility to a large extent. It will be surprising if the number of seats in the Northern state where BJP is strong, get the bulk of the increase in seats. It is unlikely that the Southern states will get any kind of significant increase of seats.

This women's reservation bill should raise an alarm among the womenfolk, but it will more or less be passed unanimously as every party will want to stake the claim that they were the ones who brought the women's reservation bill and hence they should be the one's to get the credit.

Saturday, January 17, 2026

The Unstoppable BJP Juggernaut and the Struggling Opposition

The latest defeat of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena, the NCP under Sharad Pawar, and even the faction of NCP led by Ajit Pawar (despite his alliance with the BJP in the state government) once again underscores a stark reality: the BJP juggernaut has become a formidable, well-oiled electoral machine. The opposition, fragmented and disoriented, seems incapable of mounting a serious challenge. Instead, they are being relentlessly steamrolled.

Whatever strategy the opposition attempts, the BJP seems to stay one step ahead. Armed with immense financial muscle, the party now floods the public space with advertisements — their effectiveness aside — and outspends rivals even in municipal elections. The same leaders who once criticized “freebies” or revdis are themselves distributing largesse to secure votes, at times stooping as low as outright bribery. The momentum appears unstoppable.

But if this trend continues unchecked, one must pause and ask: where is India headed? To the outside world, the country might appear to be progressing — and indeed, in some ways it is — but the methods and mindset driving this progress raise deep concerns about the nation’s long-term direction.

The government’s persistent agenda of alienating non-Hindu communities is fraught with peril. Its drive to purge what it deems “foreign” and replace it with a narrowly defined version of what is “Bharatiya” is equally troubling. Pride in India’s genuine civilizational achievements is entirely justified — and there are many to celebrate — but trying to recast ancient myths as scientific fact or to rewrite history to suit political goals is deeply misguided. Claims that India had airplanes because of the Pushpaka Vimana or nuclear weapons hidden in the verses of the Mahabharata may serve political theatrics but not national progress. Similarly, renaming every city or landmark to erase any British or Mughal trace will not make Indians feel more liberated — only more divided.

There is no doubt that India’s education system needs an overhaul. However, the effort should be to create informed citizens who are proud of their heritage yet capable of critical thought. Rewriting textbooks to vilify Mughal rulers and glorify only Hindu kings not only distorts history but risks reviving old communal wounds. India’s strength has always lain in its diversity — in recognizing that every leader, every era, and every community has both virtues and flaws. True nationalism embraces that complexity.

What the Opposition Must Do

The critical question, therefore, is this: how can the opposition halt this BJP juggernaut? The answer lies not in mimicry or reaction, but in genuine reinvention. Here are a few essential steps — difficult, yet indispensable — if they are to win back the trust of the people:

  1. Rebuild grassroots connections. Engage deeply with citizens — not on the basis of caste, creed, or language, but through empathy and action. Understand their struggles, provide real solutions. When a person faces corruption or injustice, stand with them. Help them navigate the system and fight back — that will inspire loyalty far more than slogans.

  2. Promote public hygiene and civic sense. Encourage communities to maintain clean surroundings, and educate them on the social and health costs of neglecting hygiene.

  3. Teach real history and real pride. Celebrate authentic achievements of India’s past without distortion. Instill critical thinking and respect for truth.

  4. Combat addiction and exploitation. Launch sustained efforts against alcohol, tobacco, and substance abuse — problems that quietly destroy families and productivity.

  5. Foster unity in diversity. Work to bridge divides across caste, religion, and language. The narrative of harmony, not hatred, will rebuild India’s moral foundation.

  6. Confront corruption decisively. Take visible steps to root out corruption — not just by criticizing the ruling party, but by keeping one’s own house clean. Every exposed instance of graft strengthens democracy.

If the opposition can commit to these principles and rebuild from the ground up, they might one day find that elections take care of themselves. Authentic service earns enduring support — far more than populism or propaganda ever can.

However, the pressing question remains: will the opposition rise to this challenge? Do they have leaders with the conviction, foresight, and integrity to lead such a transformation? Unfortunately, as things stand today, the answer seems to be a resounding no.

Until that changes — or until the ruling party stumbles — India will likely continue under the same political dispensation for many years to come.

(improved with ChatGPT5)

Thursday, November 29, 2018

RIP by Mukul Deva

RIPRIP by Mukul Deva
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

How one wishes what is described in the book becomes too. The theme is about a bunch of ex-commandos from the Indian army taking on the corrupt politicians and bringing about a much needed change in the political atmosphere of India.

It is easy to pooh pooh many of the incidents described in the book as being impossible and too coincidental, but one needs to give it to the author. One can feel the angst and the frustration in the author. Many Indians should be able to to relate to this feeling and would be hoping something like that happens so that we become a better country.

RIP the corrupt politicians of India. (Pun intended). It is a surprise that the politicians have not asked for a banning of the book. Maybe because the author has published a disclaimer saying all similarities to persons living or dead is unintentional.

The rating 4 is for the wish.

A decent read in any case.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Desperation of the Ruling Party?

Is the BJP seeing its downfall?

Every Government seems to think that by throwing sops at the public it can win the elections. Bharathmala is an infrastructure sop to attract the upwardly mobile urban middle class mass. It will not echo well with the rural masses, which still form a bulk of the vote bank. So one wonders what made the Government make this announcement.

Without even looking at the plan it is possible to predict that this project will have a very negative impact on the environment and environment has been one aspect that this Government has completely ignored in the name of progress. Even if it manages to garner a few votes with this project it is going to come at a huge cost for the future generation, with green belts being depleted to realize the grand vision or Mr. Nitin Gadkari.

It does not augur well either for the ruling party nor for the country as a whole.

Looks like we are going to see history repeat itself during the 2019 elections, repeat of "India Shining".

Sunday, October 22, 2017

The End of the Modi Era?

It has been well over three years now that Mr. Narendra Modi has been the Prime Minister of India. When one looks back at the three years, one wonders what has he achieved and what has he failed at. One could say that the has attempted to "Make India Great". The initiatives of "Make in India" and "Swach Bharath Abhiyan" are something that every Government in the past should have attempted, but never did.

Make in India
Setting up a manufacturing unit in India is still mired in bureaucracy. It can take months if not years to get the permissions. Once the Government gives permission the environmentalist and human rights people can then raise issues. These problems are non-existent in China where the authoritative Government crushes any dissent with no qualms. When one manages to set it up the labour unions create hurdles with their demands of leniency, which may not may not be justified all the times. These problems are again non-existent in China, thanks to the ability of the Government to snip of any such troublesome union in the bud with nary a care.
So despite the fanfare with which "Make in India" was launched it is yet to make a big impact. It remains only on paper and in the form of the statues of lion made up of gears and other manufacturing equipment scattered through the various chowks and airports of India.

Swach Bharat Abhiyan
As for the Swach Bharat abhiyan, the less said, the better. The common Indian as no sense of cleanliness or hygiene. They are smug and satisfied with their present condition. They continue to wallow in the unhygienic conditions that abound equally in the urban cities and rural towns and villages of India. No Indian seems to be interested in keeping their surroundings clean. They all seem to crave the ease of littering at every nook at corner.

Both the key attempts by Mr. Modi have failed to take off.

Economy
The two other big changes that Mr. Modi's Government has attempted are the demonetization and introduction of GST.

Demonetization
The majority of the common men was ready to accept the problems of demonetization given the fact that it was supposed to unearth the black money of the rich and powerful and was expected to break their backbone. None of this happened. The same corruption that helped these black money holders hoard the money in the first place, helped them replace the old currency with new currency. If at all, about 1% of the blank money, holders have been impacted due to the demonetization. It has only left a bad taste in the common man's mouth. Raghuram Rajan's statement of not having supported the demonetization has pushed the people who were on the fence with respect to the demonetization to becoming anti-demonetization. Only a few continue to believe that it was a good move. The government lost out in a big way by not plugging in the loops holes and by not pursuing the tracks that could have led to a real success of the exercise.

GST
It is too early to judge the impact of GST. On the face of it GST does simplify the taxation laws in India and makes is more transparent to the common man. At the same time there are enough challenges in the implementation of the same. This is aggravated by the fact that the smaller organizations are exempt from GST. This means that the larger organizations will not want to deal with these smaller organizations as they will not get an offset on the GST they pay.

Beef Ban and Gau Rakshaks
One aspect which has created a very negative image of the Government is the enforcement of the Beef Ban and the growth of Gau Rakshaks. While it maybe right to say that many Hindus are pained to see slaughter of cows, it needs to be borne in mind that none of them expressed this angst in the last 50 - 60 years. They were OK as long as it did not happen in front of their eyes. Was this an OK situation to be in. Very difficult to say. Irrespective of the animal rights activists and Peta and the whole lot it is difficult to ban breeding and killing of animals for human consumption. Given our selfishness it is very difficult to abruptly change the meat eating habits of humans (or for that matter any other long existing habit). Given this the Government should have not brought up this issue and should have let it lie dormant. But since the Government tacitly, if not explicitly spoke about this problem the overzealous population with nothing much to do was provoked by the leaders, who wished to enhance their standing, to take up arms. This has led to anarchy in the country.

This one aspect of the Government has had created a very negative image of the Government among the intelligentsia (or the literate citizens) of India. It has handed the opposition a large stick to beat the Government with. It has been helped by the Human Rights activists and the religious leaders in this beating down of the Government.

Mr. Modi should not have pursued this agenda or seeing this coming up should have nipped it in the bud. Not having done it he has to take a big smear on his face.

Hindutva
So far, other than the beef ban, the Government has steered clear of any other "Hindutva" agenda. This is a wise decision. It will not be surprising if the BJP or at least some of the leaders of the BJP pick up other points of the "Hindutva" agenda to stir up the the sentiments in the hope of winning the next election. It will be a very foolish move if they do this. It may work in some areas, but overall it will be a losing strategy for the BJP to follow.

Meddling with Education and History
Another controversy that is being stirred up by the Government is the rewriting of history in education. It makes a lot of sense to stick to truth. If the truth is ugly so be it. If Rana Pratap lost a battle so be it. Highlight the reasons (lack of unity and treason) which led to his defeat so that it becomes a lesson for the new generation instead of trying to prove that he won the battle and not let the generation learn the value of unity, honesty and bravery.

Similarly till 1992 one could point to the Babri Masjid and say, here stands a memorial of the Mughal atrocity. Now can we say that? Thanks to the overzealous right wing activists we cannot say that.

See how the Americans debate on whether the statues of the confederate leaders should be removed or left as is
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/06/opinion/confederate-statues-trump.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/news/opinion-why-i-feel-confederate-monuments-should-stay-ncna767221
https://www.jamesgmartin.center/2017/08/confederate-monuments-stay-go/
While one set of people are protesting and asking for the removal of these, there are others arguing that these should left as a reminder of the "black mark" in the American history.

It does not make sense to rewrite history to make it appear all white. The black marks and the blots should be retained.

Conclusion
The way things are today, it does not appear that BJP and Mr. Narendra Modi have a bright future. It will not be surprising if we go back to a Government put together by cobbling together a set of parties of varying hues, each with its own agenda and direction. It is unlikely that Mr. Modi will be able to get an absolute majority the way he got it this time around. If at all, he may manage to scrape through as the largest party in the Government. He will have to put up with the likes of Uddhav Thackeray and possibly OPS and gang and few others of that sort. None of them are going to give him a whole-hearted support and will keep putting obstacles in front of even his best of initiatives.

But do we have an alternate? There seems to be none as yet. It does not appear there is any party which can provide a decent alternate to the current Government. Despite this Mr. Modi and BJP need to be very wary if they wish to come back with a good majority.

What can they do
1. Any positive initiative in the area of education will be well appreciated.
2. Simplification of taxes will be very appreciated.
3. Bringing down a heavy hand on the likes of Gau Rakshaks
4. Not resorting to any Hindutva agenda
5. Reaching out to the "minority communities"
6. Making genuine attempts to bring peace to Kashmir and Gorkhaland

These are some of items that should be on the agenda of the Government to try and resuscitate the party.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

An appeal to Mr. Raj Thakeray

Mr. Thackeray,

This is an earnest request from a non-marathi citizen of India, so you may wish to ignore the suggestions. Your appeal to ban the Pakistani artistes will appeal to many and many will be willing to go with you. If you try and enforce it the way you have done things in the past, by using sticks and lathis and knifes and swords it will not win you any admirers, you will end up losing those on sitting on the fence undecided.

If on the other hand you decide to take a more peaceful approach and appeal to the conscious of the people and ask them not to chip in to the success of films having Pakistani artistes it is likely that you will be more successful in implementing your ban and it will at least not push the fence sitters to the other side. It may actually bring some of your non-fans onto the fence if they do not outright jump into your side.

One needs to keep in mind, nobody likes bullies. It is only the bully's cronies who will pander to their egos and that because they want something out of the bully and not out of any respect.

It is upto you to ultimately decide how you wish to proceed.

Yours
A peace loving citizen who would like to agree with you on this ban.

Thursday, July 28, 2016

Donald Trump and the Secret of his Success - Its applicability to Indian Politicians


A wonderful article about why Donald Trump is winning. Towards the end of the article where the writer advises what the Democrats should do to better their chances of winning. There is a lot of lessons for the Indian Politicians in this section.

Here is that section excerpted from the article and their applicability to Indian Politicians.

"Remember not to repeat false conservative claims and then rebut them with the facts. Instead, go positive. Give a positive truthful framing to undermine claims to the contrary. Use the facts to support positively-framed truth. Use repetition."

The same applies to the Indian Politicians. Stop defending. Just speak about what is being done.

"Second, start with values, not policies and facts and numbers. Say what you believe, but haven’t been saying. For example, progressive thought is built on empathy, on citizens caring about other citizens and working through our government to provide public resources for all, both businesses and individuals. Use history. That’s how America started. The public resources used by businesses were not only roads and bridges, but public education, a national bank, a patent office, courts for business cases, interstate commerce support, and of course the criminal justice system. From the beginning, the Private Depended on Public Resources, both private lives and private enterprise.

Over time those resources have included sewers, water and electricity, research universities and research support: computer science (via the NSF), the internet (ARPA), pharmaceuticals and modern medicine (the NIH), satellite communication (NASA and NOA), and GPS systems and cell phones (the Defense Department). Private enterprise and private life utterly depend on public resources. Have you ever said this? Elizabeth Warren has. Almost no other public figures. And stop defending “the government.” Talk about the public, the people, Americans, the American people, public servants, and good government. And take back freedom. Public resources provide for freedom in private enterprise and private life.

The conservatives are committed to privatizing just about everything and to eliminating funding for most public resources. The contribution of public resources to our freedoms cannot be overstated. Start saying it.

And don’t forget the police. Effective respectful policing is a public resource. Chief David O. Brown of the Dallas Police got it right. Training, community policing, knowing the people you protect. And don’t ask too much of the police: citizens have a responsibility to provide funding so that police don’t have to do jobs that should be done by others.

Unions need to go on the offensive. Unions are instruments of freedom — freedom from corporate servitude. Employers call themselves job creators. Working people are profit creators for the employers, and as such they deserve a fair share of the profits and respect and acknowledgement. Say it. Can the public create jobs. Of course. Fixing infrastructure will create jobs by providing more public resources that private lives and businesses depend on. Public resources to create more public resources. Freedom creates opportunity that creates more freedom."

Neither the contribution of Public and Private enterprises is important. Neither should take an upper hand.

"Third, keep out of nasty exchanges and attacks. Keep out of shouting matches. One can speak powerfully without shouting. Obama sets the pace: Civility, values, positivity, good humor, and real empathy are powerful. Calmness and empathy in the face of fury are powerful. Bill Clinton won because he oozed empathy, with his voice, his eye contact, and his body. It wasn’t his superb ability as a policy wonk, but the empathy he projected and inspired.

Values come first, facts and policies follow in the service of values. They matter, but they always support values.

Give up identity politics. No more women’s issues, black issues, Latino issues. Their issues are all real, and need public discussion. But they all fall under freedom issues, human issues. And address poor whites! Appalachian and rust belt whites deserve your attention as much as anyone else. Don’t surrender their fate to Trump, who will just increase their suffering.

And remember JFK’s immortal, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” Empathy, devotion, love, pride in our country’s values, public resources to create freedoms. And adulthood.

Be prepared. You have to understand Trump to stand calmly up to him and those running with him all over the country."

Absolutely relevant to the Indian Politicians what with Kejriwal accusing Modi of preparing to kill him, Modi calling Rahul a Yuvraj and the Congress walas calling Modi names.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

What Young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat

What Young India WantsWhat Young India Wants by Chetan Bhagat
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A difficult book to review. It covers a wide variety of topics. Many of them sensitive and controversial. It is obviously not easy to agree with the author and at the same time not disagree on many topics. Most of them are related to what problems plague India and some solutions on how they can be weeded out.

Most of the solutions are not wrong, but many of them are wishful thinking. They are not strong solutions. Unfortunately it is unlikely any of them are going to bear fruit in the near future.

One solution that has not been talked about in the book is a social revolution leading to Uniform Civil Code which is fair and just to both genders, all religions, and all castes.

A decent read, nothing earth shattering.

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Monday, April 04, 2016

The Edge of Desire by Tuhin A. Sinha

The Edge of DesireThe Edge of Desire by Tuhin A. Sinha
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Based on the rape of a woman in Bihar. The protagonist gets married after catching her live-in partner in an intimate position with her girl-friend. She leaves her career in journalism and joins her IAS husband who is posted in a remote district of Bihar. The caste politics has just peaked in Bihar and a person called Salim Yadav, having the right caste and religion has become a menace in the district.
She tries to prevent his cohorts from raping a mentally retarded girl in public. Her husband tries to disband his extortion network by conducting raids and having him arrested. In turn, he and three of his cohorts rape her at the first opportunity that comes his way.
This is a turning point in her life and she starts fighting back. Her husband supports her first, but soon starts suspecting her. He ex-boyfriend who is now a journalist creates more trouble her by raising doubts about her morality.
She embraces politics to fight her battle, at the suggestion of a political leader who becomes her mentor in the political world.
The book continues on how she goes on to fight different battles both in her personal front and on the political front.
Hope more such women with guts come up to fight the prejudice that exists in our country.
A decent read.

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Dongri to Dubai: Six Decates of the Mumbai Mafia by S. Hussain Zaidi

Dongri To Dubai: Six Decades of The Mumbai Mafia Dongri To Dubai: Six Decades of The Mumbai Mafia by S. Hussain Zaidi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An honest book to say the least. A very interesting account of the mafia in Mumbai. Starting from the post independence era, the book traces the history of how the Pathans ruled roost and when their menace was going beyond control Dawood was hoisted by the police themselves to oust the Pathans. In process the police did not realise that they were giving rise to a mafia worse than the one they were trying to dislodge.

Kudos to Hussain Zaidi for writing this book and more importantly the manner in which it has been written makes the book unputdownable. It offers a deep insight of the other side of the law. It provides the motives which drive the mafia to pickup the gun. It underplays the role of corrupt police officials and politicians in the nurturing of these gangs. One only finds references to these underhand dealings. It is but natural as these are the people in power and can do anything they wish and get away with it.

The book ends with details of how Dawood continues to be under the protection of the ISI in Pakistan and how duplicitous the US is in its dealings with India. On the one hand they bring out a notice saying that Dawood has assisted the Al-Queda and hence needs to be punished, but nothing needs to be done, now that Al Queda has been emasculated. It does not matter that the ISI and Dawood continue their activities in India. It is an internal matter between the two countries and US is thankful to Pakistan for their assistance in helping them quell the Al Queda which both of them put together setup in the first place.

A goodread for all lovers of Mumbai.

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Indian Politicians and Foot in the Mouth epidemic

It is really funny to see how so many of the Indian politicians are suffering from the foot in the mouth disease. Each one seems to be suffering more from the other. One after the other they have been doing the same over the past decade. For somebody following Indian politics it has been one hilarious decade to say the least.

The latest statement coming from Salman Khurshid who has stated "Headley would've got longer jail term in India". What he did not say is that it would have taken 35 years to hand the sentence to Headley in India going by the cases pending in India (with Kasab being an exception).

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Gems from Mr. Digvijay Singh

Awaiting some pearls of wisdom from Mr. Digvijay Singh. After today's blast we can expect one of the two statements from him
1. The RSS/VHP/BJP/Right Wing/Hindutva forces is behind it.
2. The Anna Team is behind it. They are afraid that the judiciary which is under review in Lok Pal will hit back at them.

Let us wait for some hilarious statements from him

Thursday, April 14, 2011

China at it again

China is back at it again. This time it is trying to "re-educate" the monks in the monastery. What will people no do in the name of "Socialism". This is taking equality to the extremes. "If somebody is poor I will make all of them poor." I ask the same question. Will no leader in the world speak up against these atrocities? Will they all fall prey to the lure of lucre from the Chinese market?

Friday, December 10, 2010

Contrasting Nobel Laurettes

Last year we had the undeserving Obama who could collect the prize and this year we have a deserving Liu who could not collect the prize, thanks to the skewed justice in China.

China is a nation that today stands on the cusp of dominating the world economy. Can we afford to let such a thing happen? It seems we are headed for disaster if such a country is allowed to dicate economic or for that matter any other term. This should be an opportunity used by all heads of states to reprimand China on its human rights violations, regardless of their market potential and their economic strength.

It was good that atleast India for once showed some spine and did not boycott the event at the insistence of China. Now we need to see how China will try and twist India's arm when its delegates come to India to discuss.

A true article India snubs China.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Salary hike for MPs

After the threefold increase of salaries of MPs it disheartens one to see a report like "After hike, Indian MP gets 13 times less pay than US lawmaker!".

How can one compare the pay structure of somebody in the US with somebody in India. Can one do a more sensible calculation by taking into account the relative per capita income in the two countries. The Per Capita income of US is 37,500 USD. In India it is 2,880 USD. Now does the writer of the article wish to compare?

How much can one and how much will one twist the statistics to suit one's need.

All the article writer wanted was some attention and he is getting plenty of it despite being downright stupid.

Thursday, March 04, 2010

Obama and Dalai Lama

In an earlier blog I had criticized Obama for not having taken any steps to correct the situation in Tibet. He has now risen up marginally in my eyes by way of having met Dalai Lama despite threats from China. It is time to call China's bluff of owning Tibet and it having done only good for Tibet.
Hope he has the courage to take on China and hope rest of the worlds supports him in the cause of Tibet and help put an end to the autocratic rule in China.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Capability not Religion

See the article. Mr Rahul Gandhi has suggested that it should be capability and not religion or community which should determine who should become the Prime Minister. An eminently intelligent and sane statement. But what should we read into it?
Positive Interpretation
A positive interpretation of this could be that Mr. Rahul Gandhi believes in meritocracy . But elected as the PM, which is very likely to happen sooner or later, will he hold to this stance and extend the same to reservation in India? One should be happy if such a turnaround comes. What applies to policitcs should apply to other professions too. Only those qualified should be given a chance not to someone based on his her religion or community.
Negative Interpretation
Or was it a statement to indicate that only the Gandhi family have the thing to become (or decide as the case may be) a PM and not anybody?

Hope it is the former.


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Should China become a World Police?

There was an article in the Wall Street Journal which suggested that China should start acting like a world power and should start taking responsible role in the world politics alongside the US.
Should we even think in those terms. Should a country where this http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704431804574539120649781240.html is the scenario be allowed to police the world?
What will the world come to if China were allowed to perpetrate what they do in their country? What about its Human Rights violations? What about Tiananmen Square? Should we just brush this under the carpet and allow such a country to pick up the baton of a World Police? Or even that of a regional police?
It is known to have helped Pakistan develop A-Bomb and is known to have supported North Korea build similar bombs.
Can we expect a country which does not allow basic freedom to its own citizens to act as a monitor to the other countries?
Here is a country which has claimed Tibet, another independent country as its own, and has destroyed the local populace. It has no qualms in staking claim to parts of Arunachal Pradesh in India and Sikkim and Bhutan. It has gleefully accepted pieces of India from Pakistan as gift, thanks to the stupid Indian policitcal leaders.
How can we trust such a country to police the world? It is a ridiculous suggestion. How can the currency of such a country become the standard for the world? Another ridiculous suggestion that has been going on in the financial circuits.
God forbid, we come to such state where China starts monitoring the world peace.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Paryting on Parole

Somebody who has been convicted by the court for killing another human in cold blood is released on parole, apparently because his mother is sick and he has shown good behaviour. What do you expect such a person to do? Go to mama and take care of her? Stay out of further trouble? No. See what such a person does.
http://www.timesnow.tv/Manu-Sharma-partied-at-my-night-club/articleshow/4331743.cms and this http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Jessicas-killer-is-partying-thanks-to-Sheila-Dikshit/articleshow/5214130.cms.
Partying in a Night Club and getting into tiff with with others in the party.
This is our India. Where the mind is not free, but people with money are free and run amok with absolute disdain of morals and ethics.
Where our politicians feel they should allow such persons pardon, because their parents made a big donation to their party for the elections, or got their favourite good-for-nothing relative a paying job.
Tagore wanted a free India where the Indians could walk with their heads held high. Which Indian go with her head held high when such happenings are becoming common?